Nepalese PM resigns over deadly violence

K.P. Sharma Oli has quit over the recent fatal standoff with young demonstrators

Nepalese Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned on Tuesday, as furious protests against the government intensified across the Himalayan nation’s capital, Kathmandu.

Nepal’s army has confirmed that Oli and six cabinet ministers were moved to an undisclosed location after protesters set fire to the residences of both the prime minister and the vice president.

Anti-government and anti-corruption protests turned violent after several major social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, and X, were banned on Monday. The ban was revoked on Tuesday.

Visuals from Kathmandu show smoke rising from the country’s parliament, which was set on fire by protestors. Local media also reported that the homes of ministers had been looted by large groups. 

The protests, led by people mostly in their late teens and early 20s, broke out on Monday, triggered by the social media ban. The authorities confirmed 19 deaths in Kathmandu alone, with around 400 people injured, including over 100 police officers.

“I joined for a peaceful protest, but the government responded with violence,” the news agency AFP quoted a 20-year-old as saying.

This week’s unrest is the worst in decades in the Himalayan nation, which has periodically faced political instability and economic troubles since its Hindu monarchy was abolished in 2008.

The Russian Embassy in Kathmandu has asked tourists to seek contact persons at major hotels in order to take one of three routes out the country, even as the capital remains under curfew.

Nepal’s tourism board and police have launched three shuttle services for foreigners with buses running to the airport. Flights from international destinations were seen hovering over Kathmandu since the airport was closed earlier on Tuesday.

“We are closely monitoring the developments in Nepal since yesterday and are deeply saddened by the loss of many young lives,” the Indian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.