At least 16 people were killed in Nepali police fire on Monday when protests against a government social media ban turned deadly in the capital Kathmandu.
Police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse demonstrators demanding the government lift its ban on social media and tackle corruption.
"Sixteen people have sadly died," Shekhar Khanal, spokesman for the Kathmandu valley police, told AFP. "About 100 are under treatment, including police."
Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Nepal's capital Monday to vent their anger against a decision by authorities to block most social media platforms, including Facebook, X and YouTube, saying that the companies had failed to register and submit to government oversight.
Protesters pushed through barbed wire and forced riot police to retreat as they surrounded the Parliament building. Police fired tear gas and water cannon, but were outnumbered and sought safety inside the Parliament complex.
