A friend of the royal family told Reuters that Dipendra was clinically dead when he was brought to hospital after turning the gun on himself. He was named king anyway, but died Monday. Tourism hit The massacre has left a power vacuum in the tiny kingdom where the late King Birendra was hugely popular, particularly after he ceded absolute power in favour of a constitutional monarchy in 1990. Many had regarded him as an anchor of stability in the poverty-stricken kingdom, torn by political feuding and a bloody Maoist rebellion, and were doubtful about the ability of the new king to command the same respect. Meanwhile, Katmandu remains all but closed down by a combination of curfews and the mourning period announced for the slain royals has brought business to a standstill.
All government departments, all banks and most shops are closed.
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