Curfew lifted in east Kathmandu, over 100 pro-king demonstrators arrested for vandalising property
Kathmandu, Mar 29 (PTI): Authorities in Nepal on Saturday lifted a curfew imposed in the eastern part of Kathmandu following violent clashes between the security personnel and the pro-monarchy protesters, as tensions eased in the area.
Parts of Kathmandu on Friday witnessed a tense situation after pro-monarchy protesters pelted stones, attacked the office of a political party, set fire to vehicles and looted shops in the Tinkune area of the capital.
Two persons, including a TV cameraman, were killed in the clashes between the security personnel and the pro-monarchy protesters. The Army was later called out to control the situation.
The curfew imposed since 4.25 pm on Friday has been lifted from 7 am on Saturday, according to a notice issued by Kathmandu District Administration Office.
Police have arrested 105 agitators who were involved in burning houses and vandalising vehicles during Friday's violent demonstration.
The protesting monarchists were demanding the reinstatement of the monarchy and a Hindu kingdom.
The demonstration turned violent after Durga Prasai, the convenor of the agitation, broke the security barricade, riding a bulletproof vehicle, and headed towards Baneshwor, where the Parliament building is located.
Those arrested included the general secretary of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party Dhawal Shumsher Rana and a central member of the party, Rabindra Mishra, among others.
Prasai, the key person behind Friday's violent demonstration, is at large, Superintendent of Police of Kathmandu District Police Range Apil Bohara said.
According to the police, 53 police personnel, 22 Armed Police Force personnel and 35 protestors were injured in Friday's incident.
During the violent demonstration, 14 buildings were set on fire and nine were vandalised. Nine government vehicles were torched and six private vehicles were vandalised.
Protesters also attacked the Kantipur Television building and Annapurna Media House in the Tinkune area.
Nepal’s political parties through a Parliament declaration abolished the 240-year-old monarchy in 2008 and turned the erstwhile Hindu kingdom into a secular, federal, democratic republic.
The monarchists have been demanding the restoration of the monarchy since the former king appealed for support in a video message telecast on Democracy Day (February 19).
The pro-monarchy activists also held a rally on March 9 in support of the former king who landed at the Tribhuvan International Airport from Pokhara after visiting religious places in different parts of the country
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Maldivian military diver dead while searching for bodies of four Italian divers
Colombo (AP): A Maldivian military diver died Saturday while searching for the bodies of four Italian divers believed to be deep inside an underwater cave.
The group of five Italian divers is believed to have died while exploring a cave at a depth of about 50 metres in Vaavu Atoll on Thursday, according to Italy's Foreign Ministry. The recreational diving limit in the Maldives is 30 metres.
Maldives Presidential Spokesman Mohammed Hussain Shareef said that Mohamed Mahudhee, a member of the Maldivian National Defence Force, died of underwater decompression sickness after being transferred to a hospital in the capital.
“The death goes to show the difficulty of the mission,” he said.
Earlier, Shareef said the searchers had prepared a plan based on their progress exploring the cave on Friday. Mahudhee was part of the group that briefed Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu on the rescue plan when he visited the search site on Friday.
Rough weather has repeatedly hampered rescue efforts.
The Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said everything possible would be done to bring the victims home. His ministry stated it was coordinating with Divers Alert Network, a specialist diving organisation, to support recovery operations and the repatriation of the bodies. The cause of the deaths remains under investigation.
The victims have been identified as Monica Montefalcone, an associate professor of ecology at the University of Genoa; her daughter, Giorgia Sommacal; marine biologist Federico Gualtieri; researcher Muriel Oddenino; and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti, according to the Maldivian government.
Benedetti's body was recovered on Thursday.
Montefalcone and Oddenino were in the Maldives on an official scientific mission to monitor marine environments and study the effects of climate change on tropical biodiversity, the University of Genoa said in a statement Friday. However, the scuba diving activity during which the deadly accident occurred was not part of the planned research and was “undertaken privately,” it said.
The statement also said the two other victims — student Sommacal and recent graduate Gualtieri — were not involved in the scientific mission.
Cave diving is a highly technical and dangerous activity that requires specialised training, equipment and strict safety protocols. Risks increase sharply in environments where divers cannot head straight up and at depth, particularly when conditions are poor.
Experts say it's easy to become disoriented or lost inside caves, particularly as sediment clouds can sharply reduce visibility.
Diving at 50 metres also exceeds the maximum depth recommended for recreational divers by most major established scuba certifying agencies, with depths beyond 40 metres considered technical diving and requiring specialised training and equipment.
Shareef said Benedetti's body was found near the mouth of the cave and authorities believed the remaining four had entered the cave.
Two Italians, a deep-sea rescue expert and a cave diving expert, are expected to join the recovery effort, Shareef said.
Italian officials said that around 20 other Italians on the same expedition aboard the vessel “Duke of York” were safe. Italy's embassy in Colombo was providing assistance to those onboard and had contacted the Red Crescent, which offered to deploy volunteers to help provide psychological aid.
The Maldives tourism ministry said it has suspended the operating license of the “Duke of York” pending an investigation.
The Italian foreign ministry said the cave is divided into three large chambers connected by narrow passages. Recovery teams explored two of the three chambers on Friday, but the search was limited due to considerations over oxygen and decompression.
On Saturday, they will explore the third chamber, the ministry added.
Italian officials and the honourary consul are in contact with the victims' families to provide assistance.
