Nepal plunges into crisis as protests torch state institutions: Photos

Nepali army soldiers stop a commuter during a curfew outside parliament, following Monday’s killing of 19 people. Photo: Reuters

Nepal is facing its worst political turmoil in decades after violent anti-corruption protests forced Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign. At least 19 people were killed in clashes this week, most of them students in Kathmandu, as demonstrators stormed parliament and set fire to the Supreme Court, the prime minister’s residence and other government buildings.

Protesters celebrate at the parliament building after it was set on fire. Photo: AP

The unrest erupted after the government banned 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and X, sparking fury among young Nepalis already disillusioned with corruption and high unemployment. Army troops now patrol the capital under curfew, with burnt vehicles and debris still littering the streets.

A woman walks with a garbage bag past a burnt vehicle in Kathmandu. Photo: Reuters

Even President Ram Chandra Poudel’s private home was set ablaze. Royalist MPs have resigned in protest, fuelling speculation about a possible push to restore the monarchy abolished in 2008. Former king Gyanendra Shah condemned the bloodshed, calling it «extremely tragic.»

Burnt remains lie inside a section of the parliament house, which was set on fire by the protesters. Photo: Reuters

With Oli’s departure, a power vacuum has opened. Protesters, largely from Generation Z, have rallied behind two anti-establishment figures: Kathmandu’s mayor Balendra Shah and former deputy PM Rabi Lamichhane, who was freed from prison by demonstrators this week despite facing corruption charges.

Political analyst Binod Dhungel described the situation as «complete chaos,» saying there are no clear leaders to fill the vacuum. President Poudel has urged calm and called for dialogue, while India and China expressed alarm at the spiralling crisis on their borders.

Firefighters dousing the torched government complex a day after it was set ablaze. Photo: AFP/Getty

For now, Kathmandu remains tense under heavy military presence, as residents brace for either fresh elections or further unrest.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Qatar-based Al Jazeera said four of its journalists were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza on Sunday, prompting international condemnation. Israel defended the attack, saying it targeted Hamas operations in the area.