Nepal's deadliest outbreak of political violence in decades has led the country to a new dawn.
Early last week, mostly Gen Z protesters took to the streets of Kathmandu and other cities, prompting Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli to resign on Tuesday.
Former chief justice Sushila Karki has replaced Mr Oli as interim prime minister, tasked with holding a new parliamentary election and becoming the first woman to lead the Himalayan nation.
Nepal's new interim leadership faces a daunting challenge of steering a fractured nation out of its most turbulent period in decades.
But it's also left the country with damage around the capital.
Security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters, some of whom torched state buildings, including the Supreme Court, parliament, police posts, politicians' homes and private businesses.
Authorities in Nepal have raised the death toll from last week's unrest to 72 as search teams recover bodies from government offices, houses and other buildings set on fire during the anti-corruption protests, the health ministry said on Sunday.
"Bodies of many people who died in shopping malls, houses and other buildings that were set on fire or attacked are now being discovered," health ministry spokesperson Prakash Budathoki said.
The ministry's previous death toll was 51, updated as of Saturday.
The latest data showed on Sunday that at least 2,113 people had been injured in the violence.
A new dawn for Nepal
Speaking for the first time since formally taking office on Sunday, Ms Karki said she would be in the post for no longer than six months, the BBC reported.
She has also said the government would pay compensation of 1 million rupees (around $17,000) to the families of those killed in the unrest and provide free treatment to the injured.
The next step is for Ms Karki to form a cabinet.
Ms Karki began work in a building close to the prime minister's office, which was set on fire during the protests.
"We must now engage in rebuilding the destroyed structures," she told senior government officials, state television reported.
The unrest has battered Nepal's already fragile economy.
Estimates compiled by hoteliers, auto dealers and major retailers suggest nearly 10,000 Nepalis lost their jobs overnight as violence spread.
The Hotel Association Nepal told local media the sector had suffered losses worth 25 billion Nepalese rupees ($275 million).
Durbar Square and other popular tourist spots like hiking favourite Pokhara remain much quieter than usual.
Charred hotels, blackened by smoke, and burned vehicles are common sights across the country.
Not just about removing one leader
Protesters in Nepal are demanding sweeping investigations into a series of high-profile corruption scandals they say have hollowed out the state and enriched political elites.
Among the most notorious is the Airbus A330 deal, in which Nepal Airlines purchased two wide-body jets at inflated prices through a murky arrangement.
"Corruption has remained unabated, spreading all over Nepal," Nepali Australian man Dhruba Hari Adhikary told the ABC.
Mr Adhikary and others called on the government to set up an independent commission to investigate corruption under the former prime minister.
"There are a dozen plus laws to punish corrupt officials, and there are half a dozen government agencies to curb corruption," he said.
For many young people, the scandals symbolise a system designed to protect the powerful.
"I think the next step would be to restore these heritage, the public properties which have been damaged," said youth social activist Ajit Bhatta.
"I think many of the young people are demanding to disclose the property of the previous government leaders. I think this was also necessary."
Protesters say their Gen Z-led movement was not just about removing one leader, but about reforming the system to ensure accountability and protect Nepal's future.
ABC/Reuters
