Nepal

Deadly blast in Nepalese church as lawmakers vote new Prime Minister

Article published on the 2009-05-23 Latest update 2009-05-23 11:44 TU

Officials and relatives of victims at the blast site in the Assumption Church in Kathmandu, 23 May 2009
(Photo: Reuters)

Two people were killed Saturday when a bomb exploded in Kathmandu’s only Roman Catholic church. Police said it was too soon to assign blame for the blast, which came as lawmakers were preparing to vote a new prime minister for the politically troubled country.

“A 15-year-old student, Celestina Joseph, and 30-year-old Pabitra Paitri died in the bomb blast,” police officer Ram Brish Chaudhary told the AFP news agency. Five hundred people were in the Church of the Assumption for morning services when the bomb went off. Fourteen were injured.

“Five of the injured are in serious condition,” added Chaudhary.

Witnesses said a black plastic bag blew up on one of the seats, which shattered windows and blew flames through the church, which is in Lalitpur, a district neighbouring the capital.

A pamphlet of the National Defence Army, a Hindu extremist group, was found at the site, though police said it was too early to say who was behind the attack. The group claimed responsibility for killing a missionary in eastern Nepal last July.

The blast came just hours before lawmakers are due to chose a new Prime Minister. Maoist Prime Minister Prachanda quit three weeks ago after eight months in office in protest, after the President vetoed his attempt to depose the army chief, General Rookmangud Katawal.

Prachanda’s resignation sparked a power struggle in the Constituent Assembly, the country’s interim parliament

Last week, an alliance of about two dozen parties named veteran communist leader Madhav Kumar Nepal as their candidate for the post.