Kathmandu, September 14: The death toll in Nepal’s GenZ protests rose to 72 on Sunday, a police official said. Among those killed were 59 protestors, three police officials and 10 inmates who died while attempting to flee.
After taking charge as Nepal’s interim Prime Minister, Sushila Karki announced that those killed during the anti-corruption protests would be honoured as ‘Martyrs’, with their families receiving a compensation of 1 million Nepali rupees each.
“The government will bear the expenses of the injured, and they will also be compensated. Transfer of the bodies from Kathmandu to other districts will be facilitated by the government,” Karki said in her first remarks after assuming office.
She further stated that those involved in acts of vandalism would face investigation, while the government would also discuss measures for reconstruction. “Personal properties were also burned down. We will not leave them. The government will work on measures to give compensation, whether through soft loans or other steps,” she said.
Karki emphasised that the interim government was not in office to “taste power” and would not remain for more than six months.
Speaking about the protests, she called the movement a “first of its kind in Nepal,” driven by demands for economic equality and eradication of corruption.
Former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, 73, took charge as the interim Prime Minister on Sunday, becoming the first woman to lead Nepal. She was sworn in on Friday after widespread Gen Z-led protests erupted across the country over political stagnation, corruption, economic disparity, and the ban on social media platforms.
