The death toll from Nepal’s violent anti-corruption protests rose to 51 on Friday, as the army enforced a nationwide curfew and political leaders scrambled to fill a power vacuum left by the resignation of Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli.
Police confirmed that 21 protesters were among the dead, most of them killed on Monday when security forces opened fire during demonstrations against corruption, poor governance and a government ban on social media platforms. Three police officers were also killed.
The unrest, the worst Nepal has seen in two decades, spiralled after protesters stormed parliament on Tuesday and set parts of the building ablaze. Within hours, Mr. Oli stepped down, leaving President Ram Chandra Poudel in urgent talks with protest leaders, opposition parties and the army over a possible interim administration.
Soldiers now patrol Kathmandu’s streets, which have fallen largely silent under curfew. “Fifty-one people have died so far this week in the protests,” police spokesman Binod Ghimire said. He added that more than 12,500 prisoners remain at large after breaking out of jails during the chaos.
“About 13,500 prisoners had escaped — some have been recaptured, 12,533 are still at large,” Mr. Ghimire told reporters. Some fugitives were killed in clashes with security forces, while others tried to flee across the border into India, where many have been detained.
The army said it had recovered more than 100 guns looted during the uprising, after images circulated of protesters wielding automatic rifles.
Nepal, a nation of 30 million people wedged between China and India, is no stranger to political turmoil. But the scale of this week’s violence — fuelled by frustration with corruption and disillusionment with political elites — has shaken even seasoned observers.
Whether a new interim government can restore order remains unclear. For now, the army’s presence underscores how fragile Nepal’s democracy has become since the end of its decade-long civil war in 2006.
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