Mass anti-corruption protests in Nepal have exploded into violence, with crowds storming central Kathmandu and setting key government buildings on fire. The unrest has left dozens dead and more than 500 injured, including over 100 police officers, plunging the Himalayan nation into its worst political crises in years.
The demonstrations, led mainly by people in their late teens and early 20s, erupted on Monday after the government banned 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, and X. Although the ban was lifted the following day, violence on the streets has only grown.
Protesters torched the historic Singha Durbar Palace, which houses Nepal’s ministries and key offices. The parliament building was also set on fire, while the Supreme Court, the ruling party headquarters, and politicians’ homes also came under attack.
Under mounting pressure, Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli and several ministers have resigned. With security forces struggling to restore order, the army has been deployed to the capital, with curfews imposed in parts of the city.
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10 September 2025
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk has voiced alarm at the escalating violence in Nepal, citing multiple deaths and hundreds of injuries among protesters, as well as widespread destruction of property and attacks on government officials.
“I plead with security forces to exercise utmost restraint and avoid further such bloodshed and harm,” Turk said, expressing concern over reports of disproportionate force by security personnel and calling for urgent, impartial investigations.
At the same time, he reminded demonstrators to uphold peaceful assembly, condemning attacks on public buildings, businesses, private homes, and government officials.
“I am disturbed by reports of public buildings, businesses, and private residences being attacked and, in some instances, set ablaze. Equally, I am concerned by reports of physical attacks on senior government officials,” he said.
The Nepali Army said it has arrested 26 people for looting and related crimes since Tuesday night as part of a special security strategy responding to the Gen Z protests. Five suspects were detained for looting a bank in New Baneshwor, while 21 others were taken into custody in connection with incidents in the Bouddha area of Kathmandu and Bhaktapur.
The Army said the arrests targeted groups that had hijacked peaceful demonstrations to commit arson, vandalism, and theft. It urged the public to remain vigilant, support security efforts, and avoid spreading misinformation on social media, stressing that community cooperation and verified information are crucial to restoring stability.
Nepal Army soldiers have been patrolling the streets overnight to secure key government sites, detaining individuals suspected of looting and vandalism, according to videos shared on social media.
FPV drone footage making the rounds online shows the Bhaisepati Ministerial Quarters in Lalitpur, Nepal, as protesters stormed government buildings and set them ablaze earlier on Tuesday.
President Ramchandra Paudel on Tuesday appealed for restraint and unity as protests spread across the capital, targeting government institutions and private residences.
“I urge everyone, including the protesting citizens, to cooperate for a peaceful resolution of the country’s difficult situation,” Paudel said in a statement released earlier in the day.
“I appeal to all parties to exercise restraint, to not allow further damage to the country, and to come to talks,” the statement added. The president’s appeal came amid reports that rioters had set fire to his office, the parliament building, and several politicians’ homes.
Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu has been shut down indefinitely amid the ongoing protests across the capital and surrounding areas. Authorities cited repeated fire incidents in Gothatar and worsening aviation security conditions as reasons for the closure. The Nepal Army has been deployed to secure the airport premises.
According to reports, international departures were halted around 12:45pm after smoke was observed near Koteshwar, while domestic carriers, including Buddha Air, suspended services citing safety concerns. Airport officials confirmed that crew movements have also been disrupted as protestors blocked traffic routes to TIA. Earlier in the day, four flights from Delhi – two by IndiGo and two by Air India – landed in Kathmandu before operations were suspended.
09 September 2025
Footage circulating online shows a massive blaze engulfing Nepal’s Singha Durbar Palace in central Kathmandu, the country’s main administrative complex, after violent protests swept the Himalayan nation’s capital. The palace, built in 1908, serves as the seat of Nepal’s government, hosting several ministries, and other key institutions.
Nepal Army Chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel has appealed to protesters to resolve their grievances through dialogue, as troops were deployed across the country to restore order.
“During the protest, extensive damage has been incurred. To prevent further loss of properties and to maintain peace, security, and harmony, national unity and harmony are our common duty,” Sigdel said in a recorded video message, as cited by ANI.
Sigdel expressed sorrow over the loss of life during the demonstrations, offering condolences to affected families and wishing recovery for the injured. He stressed that protecting citizens, public and private property, and national heritage was a shared duty, calling on Nepalis to uphold unity, patriotism, and social harmony.
The Nepal Army has announced that it will take charge of security operations starting 10pm, as violent protests swept through Kathmandu and other parts of the country, leaving parts of the capital on edge and prompting fears of further escalation.
The Directorate of Public Relations and Information said that “some groups are taking undue advantage of the difficult situation and causing severe damage to ordinary citizens and public property.”
It cautioned that all security mechanisms, including the army, would be fully mobilized if unrest continues, while appealing to citizens to cooperate and refrain from destructive acts.
RT has gathered expert views on Nepal’s unrest, with Russian political analysts, scholars, and regional specialists weighing in on the country’s structural flaws, the influence of Generation Z, and possible outside factors driving the crisis.
“What we’re seeing in Nepal is essentially a pressure cooker of social and economic contradictions that’s finally boiled over. That’s the underlying cause. The immediate trigger was the government’s decision to block social media. In that sense, I’d argue that we’re witnessing a transformation: what used to be called “color revolutions” are increasingly turning into internet revolutions,” Kirill Kotkov, an orientalist believes.
Read More views here.
No Russian citizens have been injured in the protests, according to the Foreign Ministry in Moscow. The situation around the country’s embassy in Kathmandu remains calm, it added.
“The Russian side stands for a peaceful resolution of the internal political crisis within the framework of the national legal system and hopes for a prompt normalization of the situation in the friendly country,” the statement reads.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he has convened a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security to discuss “the developments” in Nepal. He described the violence in the neighboring country “heart-rending,” expressing deep anguish over the loss of young lives. “The stability, peace and prosperity of Nepal are of utmost importance to us. I humbly appeal to all my brothers and sisters in Nepal to support peace,” Modi wrote on X.
Rajyalaxmi Chitrakar, the wife of former Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal, has died from injuries sustained after protesters set fire to their home, a source in the Russian Embassy in Nepal has told RT. She had been hospitalized with severe burns.
Video circulating on social media shows the shocking aftermath outside Nepal’s parliament building after it was set ablaze during violent protests. The footage shows blackened walls, fires still burning, thick smoke rising from the devastated structure, and crowds of people gathered around.
The Times of India’s Now TV has reported that a group that initially organized the so-called Gen Z protests has issued a statement distancing itself from the brutal violence unfolding on the streets of the Nepalese capital.
“In light of escalating risks created by external agitators, we humbly request the Nepal Army to carefully assess the situation and, if necessary, implement curfews in suitable areas to protect citizens, maintain peace, and prevent further damage to public property,” the statement reportedly reads.
The group said they had already withdrawn from protest sites and rejected any ties to political parties or individuals attempting to exploit the unrest.
A delegation from the movement, along with representatives of all major parties, is set to meet with President Ramchandra Paudel shortly, according to the report.
Videos online show protesters storming former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli’s Communist Party headquarters and tearing down the hammer-and-sickle flag.
India’s former ambassador to Nepal, Ranjit Rae, has told the Times of India that the political class in the country could have handled the crisis better, stressing that the unrest stems from “very deep-seated root causes.”
He claimed it is fundamentally a homegrown issue, though some elements might be seeking to exploit the instability for their own purposes.
The protests in Nepal do not stem from the social media ban but from young people’s dissatisfaction with the government and corruption, former Nepalese Ambassador to Russia Milan Raj Tuladhar has told RT.
“It was started by very young people, up to 28 years old. Their main demand was to stop corruption. There is a complaint of rampant corruption in the country… and also the unemployment of the youth… The media ban was just a triggering factor,” he said.
Tuladhar added that even the protest organizers did not expect such a large turnout or that the rallies would spiral out of control, which he said highlights the depth of public frustration with Nepal’s leadership.
Media reports say Rajyalaxmi Chitrakar, the wife of former Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal, has been hospitalized with severe burns after being trapped in their home, which was torched by protesters. Claims that she has died remain unverified.
The Nepali Army and heads of other security agencies issued a joint appeal on Tuesday, urging protesters to step back and resolve the crisis through dialogue.
“As the prime minister’s resignation has already been accepted by the president, we call upon all for restraint and not to allow more loss of life and property in this difficult situation,” they said, as cited by The Times of India.
Those who signed the statement reportedly included Army Chief Ashok Raj Sigdel, Chief Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal, Home Secretary Gokarna Dawadi, Armed Police Force Chief Raju Aryal, Inspector General of Police Chandra Kuber Khapung, and National Investigation Department Chief Hutraj Thapa.
Videos online show the office of Nepal’s largest media group, Kantipur, in flames amid deadly unrest. The building houses Kantipur Publications, publisher of The Kathmandu Post, along with other enterprises and offices.
Protesters have stormed the residence of Nepalese Energy Minister Depak Khadka and set it on fire, according to media reports and videos posted online. Banknotes, including US dollars, were seen raining down on the crowd after protesters said they “liberated” them from the minister’s home.
Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah has urged protesters to show restraint, saying, “Your murderer has resigned,” in reference to Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, who stepped down earlier on Tuesday.
In a Facebook post, Shah appealed to demonstrators not to destroy public property, warning that the financial loss would hurt everyone.
“[We] need to be restrained now. Your generation will have to lead the country. Be ready! Also, be ready to discuss the situation with the army chief,” he said.
The Nepalese president’s office has denied earlier media reports that Paudel has resigned, India Today has reported.
Over 500 people have been injured in protests in Nepal so far, according to the Himalayan Times newspaper.
Nepalese President Ram Chandra Paudel has resigned amid the violent unrest, India Today has reported. There has so far been no confirmation from the Nepalese government.
The social media was only a trigger for the unrest in Nepal, while the root causes are corruption in the government and economic troubles, military analyst and veteran Infantry General Shashi Asthana told RT.
“Apparently, there is a regime change [coming],” he stated.
Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport has been shut as smoke from unrest-related fires reduced visibility. Footage showed hundreds of travelers waiting for flights to resume. Nepal’s aviation authority said army forces were deployed to secure the airport.
Protest organizers from the Hami Nepal group have urged the demonstrators to stand down.
“The government has fallen. Please fall back and end the destruction,” the group wrote in a social media post.
The chiefs of Nepal’s army and security agencies have jointly urged protesters to resolve crisis through dialogue.
“As the prime minister’s resignation has already been accepted by the president, we call upon all to restrain and not to allow more loss to life and property in this difficult situation,” they said.
Two protesters were killed by police in Kalimati, Nepal on Tuesday afternoon, local media reports. The death toll in the protests has risen to 22.
Unconfirmed footage online purportedly shows protesters dragging Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel through the streets of Kathmandu in only his underwear.
Protesters have stormed Nepal’s Chakrapath Police Station. Local reports say all prisoners have escaped, adding that police personnel have also fled.
Protesters have vandalized and set fire to the homes of Nepalese President Ram Chandra Poudel, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, and former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
Footage posted online purportedly shows an angry mob attacking Nepalese Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel.
Former Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife, current Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba, have also been attacked and left bloodied and dazed during the mass protests.
India issues Nepal travel advisory.
Indian citizens in Nepal have been told to stay at home and avoid going outdoors, while following local advisories from Nepali authorities and the Indian Embassy.
Indians have also been advised to avoid travel to the Himalayan nation.
India has increased security on its border with Nepal.
Security has reportedly been tightened with increased patrols to avoid any spillover, as violent protests continue in Nepal, ANI reports.
The India-Nepal border stretches for more than 1,750km and is usually open for citizens of both countries on account of the close socio-economic ties.