Nepal mourns the 73 killed in anti-corruption protests

Nepal flew flags at half-mast during a national day of mourning Wednesday for the 73 people killed during youth-led anti-corruption protests that toppled the government.

An interim government, which took over after two days of protests last week, declared the day of mourning “in honour of those who lost their lives during the protests”, the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement.

Protests began on Sept.8, sparked by a short-lived ban on social media, but fuelled by anger at corruption and long-standing economic woes.

At least 19 people were killed in a crackdown on the first day.

Anger over the deaths escalated, triggering an outpouring of rage nationwide, with government offices, a Hilton Hotel and other buildings set on fire.

Prime Minister Sushila Karki, a 73-year-old former chief justice, has been tasked with restoring order and addressing protester demands for a corruption-free future ahead of elections in six months.

Karki has declared the victims martyrs, promising state honours at their cremations.

Police spokesman Binod Kharel said Wednesday that the death toll from the protests had risen to 73, including police officers and prisoners as they staged a mass breakout.

More than a third of the 13,500 prisoners who escaped from two dozen jails during the protests have been recaptured or surrendered themselves, he added.

“So far about 5,000 prisoners who had absconded have returned to the prisons, many voluntarily,” Kharel said.

Days after escaping alongside 13,500 others in a giant jailbreak during deadly anti-corruption protests in Nepal, Avinash Rai rubbed his belly after a meal — and strolled back into prison.

The 46-year-old convicted smuggler stunned relatives when he turned up at their Kathmandu home during last week’s chaos.

“We were in a situation where saving our own lives was a challenge,” Rai, with two small bags slung on his shoulders, told reporter just before he surrendered himself at the gates of Kathmandu’s Nakhu prison.

“There were no cops here - there was massive arson and vandalism. The gate was open after that.”

He emerged from prison into violent crowds and fires burning across the city.

“It was a really bad time out,” he said referring to the mayhem as he escaped. “Now I’m going in.”

More than a third of the fugitives -- 5,000 out of 13,500 -- have been recaptured, police said.

Some were caught by Indian security forces as they tried to slip across the long, porous frontier.

Many still on the run include hardened criminals.

Others, like Rai, handed themselves back in - many convicted of lesser offences or near the end of their sentences.

His friend Nagendra Shreshtha, who accompanied him back to jail, said Rai’s family had been shocked when he appeared at their door.

“It was just crazy that all these people managed to come out of jail,” Shreshtha said. “We advised him that it made sense to return on his own.”

At the prison gates, Rai was not alone.

Som Gopali, 40, jailed for five years for assault and with nine months still to serve, hugged his tearful wife as he also handed himself in.

“It was a shock when Som phoned me,” said his sister Preeti Yonjan, 42, who also came with him to the jail gate.

“I was dumbfounded and took time to process how he was out”.

“The changes we are witnessing today would not be possible without the courage and sacrifice of those who gave their lives during the protests,” Hami Nepal, a key organisation in the protests, posted on social media.

Shopkeeper Pooja Shrestha, 22, said that the day of mourning would bring people together.

“Everyone is sad about what happened, the loss of lives -- all young people like us,” she said.

“Things have improved now, and we hope the new government will bring the changes we need.”

A fifth of people in Nepal aged 15-24 are unemployed, according to the World Bank, with GDP per capita just $1,447.

Streets have been back to bustling business since the protests, but were quieter on Wednesday because it was declared a public holiday.

Agencies