At least 72 people have been killed in Nepal following violent anti-corruption protests that shook the nation this week. Government officials confirmed that 191 others are receiving treatment in hospitals.
Chief Secretary Eaknarayan Aryal released the updated toll on Sunday, raising the earlier figure of 51 deaths. The unrest marks Nepal’s bloodiest street violence since the civil war ended and the monarchy was abolished in 2008.
The protests began after a sudden ban on social media, but they quickly morphed into a broader rebellion against corruption and deep economic struggles. Parliament and key government buildings were set ablaze.
The movement, driven mainly by Gen Z activists, toppled the government within days. Thousands coordinated through the Discord app to name Sushila Karki, a 73-year-old former chief justice, as interim leader.
Karki took office Friday after intense negotiations led by President Ram Chandra Paudel and army chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel. “The situation that I have come in, I have not wished to come here. My name was brought from the streets,” she admitted.
Pledges for Reform and Justice
Karki held a minute’s silence for victims of the protests before beginning work at Singha Durbar, Nepal’s central government complex, where several offices still bear burn scars.
“We have to work according to the thinking of the Gen Z generation,” she declared. “What this group is demanding is end of corruption, good governance and economic equality. You and I have to be determined to fulfil that.”
She vowed to serve only six months. “We will not stay here more than six months in any situation. We will complete our responsibilities and hand over to the next parliament and ministers.”
Fragile Calm Amid Chaos
Nepal’s youth face stark challenges. A fifth of those aged 15–24 are unemployed, according to the World Bank, while GDP per capita remains only $1,447. Many protesters see corruption as the barrier to opportunity.
Though soldiers have now reduced their presence on the streets, security remains stretched. More than 12,500 prisoners escaped during the chaos and are still at large.
Regional powers are watching closely. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged support for “peace, progress and prosperity” in Nepal. China also offered cooperation, while the Dalai Lama wished Karki “every success in fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the people of Nepal in these challenging times.”
The interim government has dissolved parliament, with fresh elections scheduled for March 5, 2026. So can Karki’s brief leadership calm the restless Gen Z and deliver on the kind of governance they demand?
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