Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has stepped down following two days of violent demonstrations that left at least 19 people dead and hundreds injured, with reports indicating he departed Kathmandu in a military helicopter as crowds targeted government buildings and leaders' homes, per AFP reports.

Oli, 73, who had served multiple terms since 2008 and was sworn in for his fourth stint in July 2024, tendered his resignation on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, after protesters stormed Parliament and set fire to his private residence in Baluwatar.

A video circulating on social media showed a chopper lifting off from near his home amid thick smoke, with sources confirming it carried Oli to safety, possibly en route to Dubai for asylum.

His aide, Prakash Silwal, verified the resignation, stating it aimed to facilitate a political resolution.

President Ram Chandra Paudel accepted the move, and Oli has handed acting duties to Deputy Prime Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel, who was reportedly chased by protesters earlier.

The unrest, dubbed "Gen Z protests" for its youth-led fervor, erupted over a government ban on 26 social media platforms—including Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, X, and YouTube—imposed on September 4 for failing to register and curb misinformation, fraud, and hate speech.

Though the ban was lifted late Monday, demonstrators pressed on, accusing Oli's administration of deep-rooted corruption, nepotism, and economic mismanagement amid youth unemployment nearing 20% and lavish displays by elites' children.

Chants like "KP Chor, Desh Chhod" (Oli the thief, leave the country) echoed through Kathmandu as students in school uniforms breached barricades, torched tires, and vandalized sites including the Nepali Congress office and homes of figures like Sher Bahadur Deuba and Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

Security forces' response—tear gas, rubber bullets, water cannons, and live rounds—drew sharp criticism, with 17 deaths in Kathmandu and two in Itahari on Monday alone, pushing the toll to 22 by Tuesday.

Over 250 injuries were reported, including dozens of officers. An indefinite curfew gripped the capital, the airport shut down affecting flights from India and beyond, and transport unions called a nationwide strike.

Three ministers—Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, Agriculture Minister Ram Nath Adhikari, and Health Minister Pradeep Paudel—resigned on moral grounds, citing the crackdown's toll and lack of accountability.

Nepal Army Chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel reportedly urged Oli to quit during a call, offering military aid only post-resignation to restore order. President Paudel and the general are now consulting on interim governance, with the Nepali Congress weighing coalition withdrawal—potentially forcing early elections if no majority forms in Parliament, where Oli's UML holds sway but faces fragility.