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CNN Saturday Morning News

Nepal Mourns Murder of Royal Family

Aired June 02, 2001 - 09:10   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to move on to Nepal, a nation in turmoil and mourning and confusion after several members of the royal family were killed. Government officials say Nepal's crown prince turned an automatic rifle on his own family and then shot himself.

And when the smoke cleared, the king, the queen, and six other royals were dead. The crown prince is wounded, and he's now on life support in a Kathmandu hospital.

For the very latest, we are joined on the telephone by CNN's Kasra Naji -- Kasra.

KASRA NAJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, hundreds of thousands of people here have lined up the streets of Kathmandu, many with flowers in their hands, to get a glimpse of the funeral procession of the royal family, which is now making its way through the streets, very emotional scene you can see here. The procession is carrying the coffins of the king, the queen, and his son, his daughter, and two sisters, among others.

The procession is heading for a crematorium here where, according to Hindu tradition, the bodies will be burned on wood pyres. Many people look shocked here, as if they cannot believe what has happened. And they also complain about the lack of official information.

No more details -- very few details are coming through, and nothing officially, and all we know about the incident, as you said, according to the sources close to the palace, the royal family had gathered for a dinner party at the palace when the Crown Prince Dipendra, who's obviously the heir to the throne, walked in carrying an automatic weapon and opened fire on everyone before shooting himself.

Many also are baffled by the decision of the privy council here, who's -- which is a council of elder statesmen close to the court, who have named the crown prince, the man who's responsible for the carnage, or said to be responsible for the carnage, as the next king -- Carol.

LIN: There's a question as to whether he's -- he will be revived. Kasra, do you have any idea of what prompted the shooting, what motive was here? NAJI: Nothing officially, nothing firm, only speculations, and speculations center on the fact that there has been a long-running dispute within the family about the choice of bride for the crown prince. Apparently the queen didn't approve of the choice of the crown prince for his wife, and this is where the speculation is centering on. We don't have anything firm, I'm afraid.

LIN: All right, all right. Thank you very much, Kasra Naji, a story still developing out of Nepal.

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