Gen Z protests in Nepal turn deadly: 18 Killed, 256 injured as unrest spreads nationwide

KATHMANDU: Nepal has been rocked by a violent wave of Gen Z-led protests against the government’s ban on social media and growing discontent over corruption and misgovernance. By Monday evening, at least 18 protesters had been killed and 256 others injured across the country, according to the Ministry of Health and Population.

Despite a government-imposed curfew in Kathmandu, demonstrators refused to leave the streets. Security forces responded with what witnesses described as excessive and lethal force around the Federal Parliament building in New Baneshwor, where clashes turned deadly.

Rising Death Toll in Kathmandu and Beyond

Of the 18 deaths reported, 16 occurred in Kathmandu and two in eastern Nepal’s Sunsari district, where police gunfire in Itahari killed protesters. Hospitals across the capital reported being overwhelmed by casualties:

National Trauma Center: 8 deaths, 49 injured (emergency disaster plan activated)

Civil Hospital: 3 deaths, 100 injured (15 referred to Trauma Center and Bir Hospital)

Everest Hospital: 3 deaths, 34 injured (7 in critical condition)

Kathmandu Medical College (KMC): 2 deaths, 32 injured (6 requiring surgery)

Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital: 1 death, 18 injured

Norvic International Hospital: 3 injured under treatment

Bir Hospital: 6 injured transferred from Civil

Patan Health Sciences Institute: 4 injured

Outside Kathmandu, Pokhara’s Gandaki Hospital reported one fatality, while protests in Jhapa’s Damak and Sunsari’s Itahari left several injured and two dead.

Police Enter Hospitals, Arrest Wounded Protesters

Tensions escalated further when police reportedly entered Civil Hospital in Kathmandu, arresting protesters receiving treatment. Health workers accused security personnel of violating medical sanctity by targeting patients inside the hospital premises.

Widening Unrest Across Nepal

The Gen Z movement, which began as a campaign against the government’s social media ban, has now spread to multiple provinces:

Sunsari (Itahari): Protesters set fire to the Itahari Sub-Metropolitan Office after police opened fire. The mayor’s chamber, revenue section, and storage unit were torched. Authorities responded by imposing an indefinite curfew.

Jhapa (Damak): Protesters clashed with police near Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s private residence, pelting stones after being blocked. Three were critically injured by gunfire.

Butwal (Rupandehi): Demonstrators surrounded the UML party office and municipal office, prompting the local administration to declare a curfew from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Karnali Province (Birendranagar): Youths organized a peaceful rally under the campaign “Jurukk Gen Z – Alive Karnali” in front of the Chief Minister’s office.

Anger Boils Over

With 18 dead and hundreds wounded, the Gen Z protests represent one of the bloodiest confrontations between citizens and the state in Nepal’s recent democratic history. Demonstrators accuse the coalition government of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba of sliding into authoritarianism by suppressing dissent with lethal violence.

“The government has declared war on its own youth,” said one protester outside Trauma Center. “But we will not be silenced. This movement will only grow stronger.”

Political Fallout

Analysts warn that the crackdown could further destabilize Nepal, damage its democratic image, and scare off international investors. Human rights organizations are already calling the killings a “massacre of young protesters” and demanding accountability from Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, who oversees security forces.

With protests spreading to major urban centers and government offices targeted by angry youth, Nepal now faces a deepening crisis that threatens both its domestic stability and global reputation.