Nepal's Gen Z topples government in 48 hours as deadly unrest leaves 72 dead and large-scale destruction

Younger Nepalis forced the resignation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and brought down the government within 48 hours after mass demonstrations against corruption and elite privilege, but the movement turned violent and left at least 72 people dead, hundreds of public offices damaged and large swathes of the capital and other cities damaged or looted.

Organisers said the protests were driven by long-simmering anger at political elites perceived to have enriched themselves while ordinary citizens struggled with low wages, high migration and poor public services. Demonstrators targeted parliament, the prime minister's office, residences of political figures and several luxury hotels, and more than 300 local government offices across the country were damaged, officials said.

The protests began as largely leaderless rallies organised through social media and local networks. Activists and participants said a generation of Nepalis, often called Gen Z, mobilised online against what they described as misuse of state resources and ostentatious displays of wealth by the children of politicians, derisively nicknamed "nepo babies." The government had recently moved to ban 26 social media platforms, citing registration failures, a move that organisers say added to outrage.

Tanuja Pandey, a 24-year-old environmental campaigner who helped organise the demonstrations, described the movement as a political awakening. Pandey said she and other organisers issued guidelines stressing non-violence and vigilance against infiltrators before the main rally on 8 September. "We are proud, but there is also a mixed baggage of trauma, regret and anger," she told BBC Nepali, adding that she still receives treatment for a brain tumour and that mounting medical bills helped shape her view of inequality.

What began as a largely peaceful sit-in in central Kathmandu at Maitighar Mandala escalated when crowds moved toward New Baneshwor, the neighbourhood housing parliament. Several protesters and witnesses described the arrival of older, masked individuals who appeared intent on breaching security perimeters. Police responded with tear gas, water cannon and, according to some accounts and a post-mortem cited by officials, live rounds. An investigation into the use of live ammunition and the circumstances of the deaths is under way.

The unrest intensified the following day. Demonstrators set fire to the parliament building, the Supreme Court and other state institutions. Luxury hotels, including the newly opened Hilton in Kathmandu, were torched, vandalised and looted. Videos and eyewitness accounts show arsonists using petrol bottles and motorcycles to ferry attackers and fuel. Many protesters said they tried to contain violence and put out fires, but were overwhelmed by masked groups.

Chaos prompted the deployment of the Nepali army and a nationwide curfew that remained in effect for several days. In the aftermath, KP Sharma Oli stepped down, and former Supreme Court Chief Justice Sushila Karki was appointed interim prime minister with backing from demonstrators and some political factions. Authorities have arrested several people in connection with the unrest and the earlier violent pro-monarchy protests that complicated last week's negotiations; one such figure, Durga Prasai, was involved in initial talks with the military and drew criticism for his past role in violent demonstrations.

Families of those killed said they were still seeking answers. Yubaraj Neupane, whose 23-year-old son Yogendra was shot near the parliament building, said his family had learned of his presence at the rally only after he called them when violence escalated. A post-mortem report cited by family members said the youth was shot in the back of the head. "Our beloved has lost his life calling for change," a relative said, urging recognition of the sacrifice.

The economic and institutional damage was severe. Local media and officials have estimated financial losses as high as 3 trillion Nepalese rupees (about $21.3 billion), nearly half of the country's GDP, though final tallies and insurance assessments are pending. The Kathmandu Post, whose offices were attacked and set on fire, reported widespread destruction of public property. Aid agencies and analysts warned that disruption to government services could have long-term consequences comparable to major past shocks.

Nepal's fragile political landscape shaped the scale of the reaction. Since becoming a republic in 2008 after a decade-long Maoist insurgency that killed more than 17,000 people, Nepal has experienced chronic instability: 14 governments in 17 years and no leader completing a full five-year term. GDP per capita remains below $1,500, and large numbers of Nepalis work abroad; remittances support roughly one in three households.

Analysts expressed concern about the aftermath. Ashish Pradhan, a senior adviser at the International Crisis Group, said the protests represented "a wholesale rejection of Nepal's current political class for decades of poor governance and exploitation of state resources," but warned that the damage to public services and institutions could be extensive. Rumela Sen, a South Asia expert at Columbia University, said the event raised worrying signs of an "unprecedented glorification of the army as a voice of sanity and stability," and some activists and observers criticised the role of figures with violent pasts in early negotiations.

Organisers and many young Nepalis remain adamant that their grievances were legitimate. "This is not just a gentle nudge; it's a bold challenge to a system that has hoarded power for decades," Pandey said, while acknowledging that the trauma of the week would linger. She and others called for transparent investigations into the deaths, accountability for officials and armed actors implicated in violence, and early elections under the interim administration.

Authorities said investigations into the shootings, arson and looting are ongoing, and vowed to restore services and hold those responsible to account. As Nepal begins to assess the human, fiscal and institutional costs of the unrest, political leaders, civil society and international observers will watch whether the interim government can stabilise the situation, conduct credible inquiries and set a path toward elections that could address the grievances that fuelled the rapid rise and rupture of the Gen Z movement.