Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel is set to be discharged from Kirtipur Hospital on Monday following an improvement in his health.

A statement from the hospital, signed by Medical Director Dr Nijina Tamrakar and Director Dr Kiran Kishore Nakarmi, said both Paudel and Pokhara Metropolitan City Mayor Dhana Raj Acharya are recovering well, with no significant lung damage.

However, Mayor Acharya will remain under observation due to pre-existing hypertension. Doctors are consulting heart specialists for his treatment, and his recovery is being closely monitored, the statement said. To minimise infection risks, visits to Acharya have been restricted.

Paudel and Acharya sustained burn injuries on Saturday and are undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit at Kirtipur Hospital. They were airlifted to Kathmandu from Pokhara after an accident during the inaugural event of Pokhara Visit Year 2025.

The incident occurred at the Exhibition Centre in Pokhara-9, Naya Bazaar when hydrogen-filled balloons caught fire. Finance Minister Paudel had first pressed a button to digitally inaugurate the event, with Mayor Acharya assisting him. As they attempted to release a bunch of balloons, a flying spark ignited the hydrogen-filled balloons, causing the accident.