Greek volleyball player Eva Chantava, who is currently trapped in Nepal, has opened up about her experience amid the chaos prevailing in the country, following large-scale violent demonstrations and the prime minister’s resignation.

The athlete, speaking to SKAI, said she thought she would “either suffocate or burn alive. I felt defenseless and thought I was going to die.” In her attempt to go hide in a forest with her luggage for safety “someone threw a gas canister with fire about 10 meters away, and I just dropped my suitcases and started running,” said Chantava.

Describing the ongoing situation in Nepal, the volleyball star added that “they started burning down the parliament, they’ve burned and vandalized whatever property each politician had. They burned the prime minister’s wife alive inside her home.”

Meanwhile, soldiers guarded Nepal’s parliament and patrolled deserted streets on Wednesday with the capital Kathmandu under a curfew, after two days of deadly anti-corruption protests forced Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli to resign.

The upheaval in the poor Himalayan nation was unleashed by a social media ban that was announced last week, but was rolled back after 19 people were killed on Monday as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to control crowds.

The death toll from the protests had risen to 25 by Wednesday, Nepal’s health ministry said, while 633 were injured.

Nepal’s army said that relevant parties were coordinating to tackle the situation after the protests and resolve the issue. Media also said preparations were being made for authorities and protesters to hold talks, without giving details.

Most of the protesters were young people voicing frustration at the government’s perceived failure to fight corruption and boost economic opportunities, leading to the demonstrations being dubbed the “Gen Z protests.” [Additional reporting Reuters]