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Nepal’s protests against the government turned violent across the Himalayan nation on Tuesday with officials confirming that at least 19 people have been killed and hundreds more wounded, Reuters reported.
Demonstrators, mainly young people from Generation Z, torched parliament and the homes of government officials, stormed prisons, and forced the resignation of Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli in the nation’s capital of Kathmandu.
Reports from local media said protesters allegedly set the home of former prime minister Jhala Nath Khanal on fire with his wife, Ravi Laxmi Chitrakar, inside the Dallu residence.
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Demonstrators wield sticks and stones as they clash with riot police during a protest outside the parliament building in Kathmandu, Nepal, Monday. (Prabin Ranabhat/AFP via Getty Images)
She was critically burned, the New York Times reported, and was rushed to Kirtipur Burn Hospital, her family said.
Violent protests erupted last week after the government banned major social media platforms, including Facebook, X, and YouTube.
Although the ban was revoked, demonstrators said they would continue until parliament was dissolved, with many unhappy with the current political parties, blaming them for corruption, the Associated Press reported.
“I am here to protest about the massive corruption in our country,” student Bishnu Thapa Chetri told the AP. “The country has gotten so bad that, for us youths, there is no grounds for us to stay.”
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Riot police use a water cannon on protesters outside in Kathmandu, Nepal, Monday. (AP/Niranjan Shrestha)
Oli, whose own home was also set on fire, resigned Tuesday. Black smoke was seen billowing from the Singha Durbar palace complex, which is the government’s main administrative home.
Officials also confirmed that two prisons in western Nepal were stormed, leading to the escape of nearly 900 inmates.
Protesters celebrate standing at the top of the Singha Durbar, the seat of Nepal’s government’s various ministries and offices, after it was set on fire during a protest against social media ban and corruption in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
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The U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu has urged citizens to avoid large gatherings.
Nepal’s army chief, Ashok Raj Sigdel, warned the military could “take control of the situation” if the violence continues, though he appealed to demonstrators for dialogue.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Nepal Government office for comment.