Kathmandu airport reopens as Nepal tries to regain control after deadly unrest
Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport reopened after a day of severe disruption as Nepal’s army tightened its grip on the capital following some of the country’s worst unrest in years. The reopening came on a day when the city was quieter than before, but the calm was uneasy: smoke still rose from damaged buildings, a nationwide curfew remained in place, and the military continued patrols and checkpoints across the capital.
The unrest began as protests against corruption and nepotism but quickly escalated into arson, clashes and widespread vandalism. Thirty people were reported dead and more than 1,000 injured over two days of violence. Government offices and parliament were torched, politicians’ homes were attacked, and the prime minister resigned as the situation deteriorated.
The protests also exposed a split between the movement’s original organisers and the violence that followed. Groups identifying themselves with the “Gen Z” protests said the demonstrations had been hijacked by opportunists. Their statement insisted the movement was non-violent and rooted in peaceful civic engagement. At the same time, the army said it was acting to control people taking advantage of the crisis to loot, set fires and create disorder.
Security forces arrested 27 people over violence and looting and said they had recovered 31 firearms. Loudspeakers at checkpoints told people not to travel unnecessarily, and officers checked vehicle IDs at military barriers throughout the city. The military also invited Gen Z representatives to peace talks, signalling that the authorities want some channel for negotiation even while imposing order on the streets.
For many Nepalis, the political trigger was broader than one policy decision. The immediate spark was the government’s failed attempt to ban 26 social media platforms, including WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook. Although the ban was lifted, anger had already built around corruption, inequality and the social media-driven “nepo kid” campaign highlighting the wealth of politicians’ children.
The violence has left a vacuum at the top of the state. The resigning prime minister leaves behind no obvious successor, and the future shape of government is uncertain. Protesters say they want leaders who are competent, independent and free from entrenched party politics. Their demands now intersect with a much harder problem: how to restore public trust after the deaths, the destruction and the sense that the crisis moved beyond any one group’s control.
For now, the airport reopening is a practical sign that life may begin to resume. But the army’s presence, the curfew and the scale of the damage show that Nepal’s crisis is not over; it has only entered a more controlled, but still fragile, phase.
