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CNN Live Sunday

Official Reports Now Say Shooting of Nepal Royal Family Accidental

Aired June 03, 2001 - 16:06   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.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: What happened in Friday's fatal shooting of the royal family of Nepal? It depends on who you ask. Earlier, government officials said that the crown prince shot his family members because of a dispute over the woman that he was to marry. But now, palace officials say that the shooting was an accident.

CNN's Kasra Naji has more on the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KASRA NAJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Supporters of the monarchs roaming the streets, shouting slogans in support of the late king and the queen that they would remain immortal. Some have shaven off their hair in the Hindu tradition of mournings. They've been having difficulty believing that their crown prince could have opened automatic gunfire on his entire family, as officials and sources close to the palace previously maintained.

Outside the palace, mourners waiting to sign memorial books. As they waited, the palace was giving a new version of events. The new regent issued a statement saying it was all an accident; a fatal accidental burst of an automatic weapon at family dinner party. Also, the prime minister, who in his address to the nation did not mention anything about an accident, is now reported to have blamed the carnage on the so-called accident.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not cover-up that this was a family gathering, a restricted family gathering.

QUESTION: How is it that there is automatic weapon at family gathering?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It just happened.

QUESTION: Many loyalist may want to believe that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am ready to believe that, because there have been a lot of secrecy about what is going on and lot of speculations. We can't believe that crown prince -- because he was -- he was a good man. We believed in him, too.

NAJI (on camera): The palace has now completely changed its story. The question now is whether the general public will accept this new version of events. Certainly, there are those who fear they may never be told the truth.

(voice-over): King Birendra was among eight numbers of the royal family who were killed. Others including the queen, her daughter, and their other son. Six others are in hospital. Some here fear the truth may become a casualty, too.

Kasra Naji, CNN, Kathmandu.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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