Nepali authorities imposed another curfew on Tuesday in an attempt to quell protest in the nation's capital. The people of Nepal are still reeling from Friday's massacre of the royal family and refuse to accept the palace's brief statement, which blamed the events on an "accidental firing from an automatic weapon." King Gyanendra assures a swift investigation into the shooting.
Some Nepalese are also reportedly upset that their new king's son, Paras, is likely to be heir to the throne. Paras is known for his "wild lifestyle", including drunken behaviour which has often led to brawling, and there are reports that he killed two people in separate road accidents last year.
Meanwhile, 51-year-old Prince Dhirendra Shah, the youngest brother of the new King of Nepal, died on Monday after suffering three strokes related to gunshot wounds, leaving behind his British wife and their seven-year-old daughter.
The Prince left the country in the late Eighties before marrying Shirley Greaney in 1991 and settling on the Isle of Wight. Three years ago he reconciled with the royal family, and had returned to the palace this past week for one of his regular visits, thus becoming caught in the tragedy.
Nepal has been in turmoil since Friday, when Crown Prince Dipendra, as he then was, reportedly opened fire on his family after a disagreement over his choice of bride. The Eton-educated, 30-year-old prince then turned a pistol on himself, surviving for 48 hours in a coma before succumbing to the self-inflicted wound early on Monday morning. During that brief time he was named king.
The Nepalese interior minister had originally said Crown Prince Dipendra shot his family and then attempted to commit suicide, but he later retracted that story.
A reported forty bullets were removed from the bodies of Prince Nirajan, aged 22, and King Birendra, 55. Other casualties include Queen Aishwarya, 51, Dipendra's sister Princess Shruti, 24, and six others.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
