Tens of thousands of demonstrators are massing on the outskirts of the Nepali capital in defiance of another curfew. The protesters, who want King Gyanendra to step down, have thrown burning tyres, logs and barbed wire across the streets of Kathmandu. Palls of black smoke are hanging in the air over the city.
An Indian envoy dispatched to Nepal said the king is expected to make an announcement on restoring democracy.
Earlier, a man wounded at a rally at Gulariya died from his injuries, taking the death toll among demonstrators to 14. Police had opened fire on protests attended by tens of thousands of people, defying an earlier 25-hour curfew.
Security forces have been firing on demonstrations against the king's rule since opposition parties launched a general strike on April 6. Notices posted by the government warned people to stay indoors during the latest curfew hours and that those who violated the order would be shot. A government statement claimed 13 policemen were also wounded in clashes with protesters who vandalised government offices.
Before the latest curfew was imposed, city residents rushed to the markets to buy food and supplies.
