Ex-Nepal PM Deuba, wife attacked by protesters, later rescued by army

Former Nepalese prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife, Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba, were assaulted on Tuesday (9 September) as anti-corruption protests swept across the country for a second consecutive day.

Protesters stormed Deuba's residence in Budanilkantha, Kathmandu, vandalising the property before security forces intervened.

Video footage from the scene showed the former prime minister bleeding from his face, sitting helplessly on the ground after being rescued by the army alongside his wife.

The youth-led demonstrations, driven largely by Gen Z protesters, escalated sharply with widespread arson and vandalism targeting the homes of political leaders, cabinet members, and government buildings. Police stations and party offices were also set ablaze.

The unrest, triggered by a nationwide ban on 26 social media platforms including Facebook, YouTube, and X, has so far left at least 19 people dead and more than 300 injured. The ban was later revoked by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who subsequently resigned from office on Tuesday.

Chants of "KP chor, desh chodd" (KP thief, leave the country) and "Take action against corrupt leaders" echoed through the capital as protesters clashed with security forces. Witnesses described Kathmandu as resembling a "war zone," with groups of young demonstrators confronting police in pitched street battles.

Ex-Nepal PM's wife dies of burns as protesters set their house on fire

In another incident, Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel was chased through Kathmandu streets, where video footage showed a protester leaping to kick him down against a wall as crowds pursued him.

Despite the government's reversal of the ban, anger over corruption and political nepotism continues to fuel the demonstrations, which have turned into one of the largest youth-led uprisings Nepal has seen in recent years.