Nepal’s royal family wiped out

Associated Press

KATMANDU, Nepal – Nepal’s crown prince opened fire in the royal palace of this small Himalayan nation Friday, shooting to death the other four members of his family, including the king and queen, before killing himself, a senior military official said.

Four others also died in the shooting at Narayanhiti Royal Palace, which apparently stemmed from a dispute over Crown Prince Dipendra’s choice of a wife.

The official said Prince Dipendra, 30, killed his parents, King Birendra and Queen Aiswarya, his younger brother, Prince Nirajan, and his sister, Princess Shruti. The princess was married and had two daughters.

According to the official, the shooting was prompted by a dispute over the crown prince’s marriage because his mother, the queen, reportedly objected to his choice.

The crown prince, educated at Britain’s Eton College, was heir to the throne.

A helicopter was sent to Chitwan, 75 miles southwest of Katmandu, to pick up Prince Gyanendra, the King’s younger brother, according to sources at the airport.

Prince Gyanendra, who is next in line to the throne, was expected to succeed King Birendra. The government was expected to make a formal announcement only after the king’s brother replaces him.

Katmandu, the capital of 1.5 million, woke up today to news of the shootings. Hundreds of people began walking toward the royal palace in the heart of the city. Police cordoned off the outer periphery of the building.

King Birendra held nearly absolute power until 1990, when seven weeks of demonstrations and riots forced him to give into demands from democracy activists. A parliamentary government was established and the king has since remained a figurehead much like the queen of England, appearing in ceremonies and addressing the Parliament once a year.

Nepal is in south Asia along the slopes of the Himalayan mountains and is home to eight of the world’s 14 peaks above 26,400 feet, the tallest being Mount Everest.