Nepal soldiers move to restore order

KATHMANDU — Soldiers guarded Nepal's parliament and patrolled deserted streets on Wednesday amid a curfew in the capital Kathmandu, after two days of deadly protests forced prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli to resign.

The upheaval in the Himalayan country was unleashed by a social media ban that was announced last week, but was rolled back after 19 people were killed on Monday as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to control crowds.

The death toll from the protests has risen to 25, Nepal's Health Ministry said on Wednesday, while 633 were injured.

Burned-out vehicles and twisted metal littered the area around parliament, where army firefighters battled to douse a blaze in the main hall, while the building's exterior was charred after protesters set it ablaze on Tuesday.

TV footage showed youths cleaning up some damaged buildings and clearing debris from roads and the areas near parliament.

Several other government buildings, from the Supreme Court to ministers' homes, including Oli's private residence, were set ablaze in the protests, with the unrest subsiding only after the prime minister's resignation.

The main airport in Kathmandu reopened on Wednesday, a spokesperson said, more than 24 hours after flights had been suspended.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Wednesday that China hopes all walks of life in Nepal can properly address their domestic issues and quickly restore social order and national stability.

"China and Nepal are traditional friendly neighbors," Lin said at a daily news conference in Beijing.

China has reminded its citizens in Nepal to pay attention to their safety, he added.

Zhang Yunbi and Yang Yilin in Beijing contributed to this story.

Agencies Via Xinhua