The bodies of Nepal's King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya and their younger son Prince Nirijan, have been cremated in a ceremony on the banks of the River Bagmati, barely 24 hours after they and other royal family members were apparently gunned down by their eldest son, Crown Prince Dipendra. The cremations followed a lengthy funeral procession witnessed by hundreds of thousands of mourners through the streets of the capital Kathmandu. The speed of the funeral, in accordance with Hindu tradition, has left the people of Nepal almost no time to digest the news of the royal massacre.
Confusion still surrounds the circumstances of the massacre.
Home Minister Ram Chandra Paudel identified Crown Prince Dipendra as the gunman, saying he turned the gun on himself after shooting his relatives. As well as the five royals, the Minister said six other people had been killed, including the king's two sisters and one of their husbands. The crown prince, who was officially named the new king, is reported to be in a deep coma in hospital. The tragedy occurred on Friday night during the family's weekly dinner at the royal palace in Kathmandu.