Nepal's newly proclaimed king barely clung to life tonight as confusion swirled around the palace massacre of his parents and six other members of the royal family.
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Nepal's Crown Prince,
Prince Dipendra |
State radio, interrupting broadcasts of mourning music for King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya and six others who died Friday night, said the successor to the throne, Prince Dipendra, remained critically ill.
"According to the doctors, the condition of his Majesty the King continues to be very critical," it said
The radio earlier sought to douse talk that Dipendra (29) had shot his parents and other family members after a row over his choice of bride, and then turned the gun on himself. But its explanation of what happened left people even more puzzled.
"According to the information received by us, they were injured when an automatic weapon suddenly exploded," it said.
As speculation swirled round Kathmandu that the new king might already be dead, sporadic protests erupted over what many saw as an official failure to explain what really happened.
Youths, their heads shaved in a Hindu mark of mourning, scuffled briefly with police outside the royal palace. Others blocked traffic and shouted slogans demanding the truth.
"There is no credible official announcement. Nobody from the palace is speaking out a single word. The people of Nepal are very confused," said Mr Mahinder Dhapa, one of some 200 men and women gathered in a protest.
But the somber streets were calm this evening as people drifted home under a light drizzle.
Some left candles burning outside the palace for the recovery of the new king and in memory of the dead one.
Mr Prithvi Raj Ligal, vice-chairman of Nepal's National Planning Commission, said he found it hard to believe Prince Dipendra could have killed his parents.
"I found him a simple man, full of enthusiasm. There is no reason why he should kill the king," he told Reuters.
Prince Dipendra's uncle, Prince Gyandendra, named regent while the new king is in a coma, also said the killings had been an accident.