The government has formed an eight-member committee to investigate the balloon explosion that occurred during the Pokhara Visit Year 2025 inaugural ceremony on Saturday.

Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak appointed Kaski’s Chief District Officer Bharatmani Pandey as the committee coordinator, directing the team to submit its report within 15 days.

The committee includes:

Shivraj Chaulagain – Chief Administrative Officer, Pokhara Metropolitan City
Shyambabu Oliya – Superintendent of Police, Kaski
Surya Prasad Timilsina – Chief, Armed Police Force No. 24 Battalion
Suresh Kumar Tiwari – Deputy Director, National Investigation Department, Kaski
Ganga Bahadur Chhetri – Assistant Chief District Officer, Kaski (Member Secretary)
An explosives expert (to be appointed)
The blast injured Deputy Prime Minister & Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel and Pokhara Mayor Dhanraj Acharya, who are currently in intensive care at Burn Hospital, Kirtipur. Following the committee’s formation, Home Minister Lekhak visited the hospital to assess their condition.

Authorities are working to determine the cause of the explosion and ensure such incidents do not occur again.