19 Killed In Nepal In Protests Over Social Media Ban, Army Deployed

Kathmandu- At least 19 people were killed and more than 300 others injured on Monday after police used force during protests by youths that rocked the Nepalese capital and other parts of the country over the government's ban on social media sites, officials said.

Thousands of youths, including school students, under the banner of Gen Z, converged in front of Parliament in the heart of Kathmandu and shouted anti-government slogans demanding immediate revocation of the ban. The protests spread to Pokhara, Butwal, Bhairahawa, Bharatpur, Itahari and Damak.

Nepal Police spokesperson Binod Ghimire said 17 people were killed in clashes in various parts of Kathmandu during the rally, and two protesters died in Sunsari district of eastern Nepal in police firing.

Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, who represents the Nepali Congress party in the coalition government led by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, has resigned on moral grounds, the Nepali Congress sources said.

The Nepali Army was deployed in the capital after the situation intensified during the protest. The army personnel have taken control of the roads surrounding the parliament complex in New Baneshwor.

The demonstration turned violent when some protesters entered the Parliament complex, prompting police to use water cannons, tear gas, and live rounds to disperse crowds, eyewitnesses said.

Citing hospital officials, The Kathmandu Post newspaper reported that eight people died at the National Trauma Centre, three at Everest Hospital, three at Civil Hospital, two at Kathmandu Medical College, and one at Tribhuvan Teaching Hospital.

Citing the Ministry of Health, the paper said that hospitals across the country are treating at least 347 injured protesters – Civil Hospital 100, Trauma Centre 59, Everest 102, KMC 37, Bir Hospital six, Patan Hospital four, Tribhuvan Teaching 18, Norvic three, BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences two, Gandaki Medical College one, Birat Medical College four, and Damak Hospital seven.

The Himalayan Times newspaper said that hospitals, including Civil Hospital and Trauma Centre, are struggling to accommodate patients and have begun referring them to other facilities.

Following the violence, the local administration imposed a curfew in several parts of the capital. Besides Kathmandu, curfew orders have been issued in Lalitpur district, Pokhara, Butwal and Itahari of Sunsarai district.

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