Greek volleyball player Eva Chantava, who, along with teammates, was among those trapped in Nepal in recent days following unrest sparked by the prime minister’s resignation, said she feared for her life before managing to reach capital Kathmandu for her return to Greece.

In a post on Instagram, Chantava reassured her followers that she had flown safely to the Nepalese capital. “Everything is fine,” she wrote.

Speaking later to Open TV, she described how she and her teammates sought refuge when riots broke out in Surkhet, the city where they were staying. “We were saved because the hotel was like a maze and had many exits, and we managed to get out in flip-flops and pajamas and were in the forest for an hour and a half,” she said. “There was no security at the hotel, we were only moving on our instincts, I say this and I feel like crying, because I thought I was going to die.”

“Honestly, I never expected to experience something like this here. We were staying at a hotel that belonged to a government official, and as you saw, they were setting fire to everything linked to government figures,” said the Greek athlete.