Nepal has been plunged into political turmoil after the country's prime minister was forced to step down following public outrage over his response to the second deadly Covid-19 wave.
UK. P. Sharma Oli - who called for unconfirmed coronavirus remedies and attended crowded events despite charges - has been removed from office after losing a confidence vote on Monday.
Just one month ago, the Himalayan nation of 31 million people reported 100 cases of Covid-19 a day. On Tuesday, it reported 9,483 new cases and 225 viral-related deaths, according to the Department of Health - the highest number of deaths in a single day since the outbreak began.
Some have linked the country's second wave to the outbreak in neighboring India, which began in mid-March. Both countries share a long, open border of land that people can easily navigate and beyond.
India scenes, of incineration and burial of people standing in line outside hospitals, are being held in Nepal, where hospitals run out of oxygen and turn patients away.
Critics say public negligence and inefficiency in government may have exacerbated the outbreak of Nepal's coronavirus. While it would not be possible to prevent a second wave, experts say the government could do more to control it.
When the crisis arose, a coalition government partner, the Maoist Center, withdrew his support, prompting Oli to seek a parliamentary vote to prove he had enough support to stay in power.
Oli needed at least 136 votes in the 275-member House of Representatives to reassure the majority and save his government. But he got only 93 votes - 124 members voted for him.
Given Oli's failure to win the vote of confidence, Nepal's President and army chief Bidhya Devi Bhandari will now issue an invitation to form a new government.
Mixed messages
Nepalese coronavirus cases began to rise in early April, but the government was slow to act, allowing major religious ceremonies, large weddings and other public gatherings to continue.
On April 8, when new daily cases had already been tripled, Oli said Covid-19 could be treated with guava leaves - adding in his humorous statement last year that Nepalis had a strong immune system because of their daily intake of spices.
It was not until April 29, when the daily number of cases reached more than 4,800, when the government imposed a two-week closure in the capital, Kathmandu.
In May, authorities closed border crossings, ordered overseas oxygen cylinders, set up new health care facilities, and banned all international flights. But by then it was too late.
Messages from Oli and his superiors were sometimes vague and contradictory.
On May 8, Oli told CNN that the Covid-19 situation in Nepal was "under control," stressing that the government was taking appropriate action. "We are taking critical steps to control the situation to provide oxygen, provide beds, and supply ICU beds," he said.
When asked about major events held in the country in recent weeks, he acknowledged that "mistakes have been made", but said: "This should not be a political problem."
His assertion that the situation was under control had provoked outrage among those who struggled to survive.
"People don't get beds, people don't get oxygen, people are crying for help," said Suraj Raj Pandey, a volunteer at Covid Connect Nepal, a website run by volunteers who link patients with clothing and beds. "And the country's top official comes and says to the international community, 'Yes, everything is fine, Nepal is normal, everything is under control,' while people are dying on the streets."
Oli took a very different voice two days later, in an opinion article published in The Guardian on May 10, before a vote of no confidence.
"Nepal's history is one of hardships and struggles, yet this epidemic is very stressful for us," he wrote. "The number of infected people is strengthening the health system; it has been difficult to provide patients with the hospital beds they need."
Despite government efforts, "due to resource constraints and infrastructure, the epidemic has become a major burden," he wrote. "Therefore, I call on the international community to help us with vaccines, diagnostic tools, oxygen, critical medical equipment and equipment, to support our efforts to save lives. Our immediate goal is to prevent preventable deaths."
Later that day, he was removed from his position.
The covid problem is getting worse
All this time, as Oli and his management have been embroiled in controversy, Nepal has continued to sink under Covid-19 charges.
Photos and videos from below show Covid patients lined up outside hospitals, asking for oxygen or an ICU bed. But with supplies running out, health care facilities - including at least six private hospitals in Kathmandu - have stopped accepting Covid patients.
"It's a social problem right now," said Eeda Rijal from the Covid Connect Nepal volunteer group. "And we, working forward, have seen that increase, and we do not understand why the government has not been able to see this."
Desperate families and Covid patients are begging for goods on social media. Surajan KC is among them. Both her parents were hospitalized with Covid-19; Her father, whose oxygen levels were unstable, is now in the ICU.
"We are just waiting to see if he will recover soon," he said. "It's still very scary, especially when it comes to oxygen, because even though you get beds in hospitals, I've heard that many hospitals tell patients they need oxygen ... on their own."
The doctors, too, said they were pushed to their level.
"It has not been easy to sleep in the last seven days ... I have not slept for two hours," said Saugat Poudyal, medical director of Karuna Hospital in Kathmandu. "I think the global community needs to move forward from now on. The lack of oxygen will bring a catastrophe here."
In an interim order on Tuesday, Nepal's Supreme Court called on the government to establish a team to oversee the distribution of oxygen cylinders and other life-saving equipment. The court ruled that no Nepalese person should be denied medical treatment for oxygen deficiency, and that it is the government's responsibility to ensure the availability and survival of lives.
The demolition of Kathmandu village - home to an estimated 2.5 million people - was extended until May 27, with residents advised not to leave unless necessary. Gatherings are banned at party venues, and gatherings in private homes are limited to 10 people.
International air travel bans were also extended until May 31 - although two flights a week were allowed between Kathmandu and India's capital, New Delhi, under a "footballing" program, according to Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority.
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