Hundreds of Nepali youths, protesting against poor governance, stormed the country’s parliament and set fire to the building, as well as the President’s Office, the Prime Minister’s residence, government offices, political party headquarters, and homes of senior leaders.
The parliament came under attack after violence erupted during the protests, with the angry youths overpowering security forces.
The unrest began after a social media ban was imposed, leading to protests against the communist prime minister, during which police opened fire on the crowd, resulting in at least 19 deaths and 500 injuries.
The escalation culminated in Prime Minister Oli’s resignation, shortly after hundreds of protesters stormed his office demanding accountability.
Nepal’s army chief issued a statement late on Tuesday accusing demonstrators of taking advantage of the current crisis by damaging, looting and setting fire to public and private property.
It said if unrest continued, “all security institutions, including the Nepal Army, are committed to taking control of the situation,” effective from 22:00 without detailing what this might entail.
While the prime minister has stepped down, it’s not clear who will replace him – or what happens next, with seemingly no-one in charge. Some leaders, including ministers, have reportedly taken refuge with the security forces.
So far, the protesters have not spelt out their demands apart from rallying under the broader anti-corruption call.
