By Lex Harvey, Sugam Pokharel, Esha Mitra and Aishwarya S Iyer, CNN

(CNN) — Nepali protesters, angered by a bloody crackdown, defied a police curfew and took over the streets of the capital Kathmandu on Tuesday, setting fire to the Supreme Court, parliament and other government buildings in the latest day of Gen Z-led protests that have toppled the Himalayan country’s prime minister.

Officials said at least 22 have people have been killed and hundreds wounded in the clashes in Kathmandu sparked by a government ban on social media platforms but driven by deep-rooted resentment at rampant corruption by the country’s political elite and a lack of economic opportunities for regular Nepalis.

Police used live ammunition, water cannons, and tear gas against the protesters, Reuters news agency reported. On Tuesday, smoke clouded the sky above the capital, photos by Reuters showed. The country’s main international airport shut because of the violence, according to a notice posted Tuesday afternoon. Later that evening, the Nepal Army sent troops into Kathmandu “to control the situation for the security of Nepal and Nepalis,” according to its chief.

Nepal, a Himalayan country of 30 million people, is known for its turbulent politics and has seen more than a dozen governments since it transitioned to a republic after abolishing its 239-year-old monarchy in 2008 following a decade-long civil war.

Still, the latest protests, which are led by people ages 13 to 28 – the cohort known as Generation Z – are Nepal’s worst unrest in decades.

Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli announced his resignation on Tuesday in a letter that cited “the extraordinary situation” in the country, according to copy of the note posted on social media by a top aide.

Video appeared to show demonstrators ransacking Oli’s private residence on Tuesday, Reuters reported. Crowds of protesters could be seen breaking into the property and destroying furniture before setting it on fire.

Here’s what we know about the unrest roiling Nepal.

What sparked the protests?

Anger against the government for what many view as rampant, decades-long corruption was already simmering, and it spilled into the streets of the capital last week after the government blocked social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube and X, in a move that was widely criticized by rights groups.

Organizers say the protests are not only about the social media ban but also reflect generational frustration at poor economic opportunities.

“While the main trigger for the protest was the recent social media ban, the long history of corruption and bad governance is the main reason that thousands of people have come out on the streets to protest,” a 28-year-old who attended the protests on Monday and Tuesday told CNN.

“It was overwhelming to see such a huge turnout and the energy and anger of the people,” said the protester, who asked not to be named out of fear of government retribution.

The unemployment rate for youth aged 15-24 in Nepal was 20.8% in 2024, according to the World Bank.

Meanwhile, a viral online movement against “Nepo Kids” — politicians’ children showing off their lavish lifestyles — is fueling further anger by highlighting the disparities between those in power and regular Nepalis.

Nepal’s economy is heavily reliant on money sent home by Nepalis living abroad. More than a third (33.1%) of Nepal’s GDP came from personal remittances, according to the World Bank, a number that has steadily risen over the past three decades.

Protests turn deadly

The protests escalated just hours after they began Monday as protesters clashed with police at the parliament complex in Kathmandu.

At least 22 people have been killed, Dr. Mohan Regmi, the executive director at Civil Service Hospital in Kathmandu, told CNN on Tuesday after a second day of demonstrations.

More than 400 people, including security forces staff, were hospitalized on Monday, according to a report by Nepal’s health ministry.

The Kathmandu Post newspaper said its servers were down Tuesday after its building was set on fire.

UN Secretary General António Guterres called for a “thorough investigation” and “restraint to avoid further escalation of violence” in a statement to X Tuesday.

“I call on the authorities to comply with human rights law. Protests must take place in a peaceful manner, respecting life & property,” Guterres said.

“The use of lethal force against protesters not posing an imminent threat of death or serious injury is a grave violation of international law,” Amnesty International said in a statement.

The US State Department “strongly advised” all US citizens in Nepal to shelter in place until further notice and to avoid travel.

Government under pressure

The resignation of Prime Minister Oli on Tuesday came after a string of other officials quit over the government’s response to the protests. Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak resigned Monday following the violence, with the ministers for agriculture, water and health a day later.

In the hours after Oli stepped down, the Nepali Army appealed for a peaceful solution through dialogue, urging “all citizens to exercise restraint to prevent further loss of life and property in this critical situation.”

Later Tuesday, Nepal President Ramchandra Paudel urged demonstrators to “cooperate for a peaceful resolution” and called on youth protesters to “come to talk.”

Binay Mishra, a Nepal-based public policy analyst, told CNN that “once the prime minister steps down, the president calls the parliament to form the government.”

As there is currently no party with a clear majority, lawmakers are more likely to form an interim government with some Gen Z organizations potentially involved in discussions over who could lead in the short term, said Mishra, an assistant professor of public policy at Kathmandu University School of Management.

In a statement before his resignation, Oli said his government was “not negative toward the demands raised by the Gen Z generation” and said he was “deeply saddened” by the incidents on Monday. He blamed “infiltration by various vested interest groups” for the violence, without elaborating on who those groups were.

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CNN’s Ross Adkin contributed reporting.