Student demonstrators gathered outside Nepal's parliament building when security forces opened fire on September 8. The violence killed 72 protesters and wounded 458 others during student-organized demonstrations against government corruption. Student Aditya Rawal sustained bullet wounds while attempting to help fallen protesters. Medical staff at Civil Service Hospital treated numerous casualties as tear gas spread through the facility. The unrest represented Nepal's worst violence since the civil war ended in 2008.
Economic frustration drove the protests as unemployment affects one-fifth of young Nepalis between the ages of 15 and 24. The Himalayan nation maintains a GDP per capita of just $1,447 among its 30 million residents. Protesters demanded transparent governance and an end to corruption practices. Former chief justice Sushila Karki assumed interim leadership after the prime minister resigned. The transitional government will hold new elections within six months.
Economic frustration drove the protests as unemployment affects one-fifth of young Nepalis between the ages of 15 and 24. The Himalayan nation maintains a GDP per capita of just $1,447 among its 30 million residents. Protesters demanded transparent governance and an end to corruption practices. Former chief justice Sushila Karki assumed interim leadership after the prime minister resigned. The transitional government will hold new elections within six months.
