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Josy Joseph in Kathmandu
Moments after King Birendra and 11 of his family members were killed rumours of an army coup gripped Nepal.
Fears of a coup increased after Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala went incommunicado in the palace for several hours after the massacre.
According to sources, Koirala's family tried frantically to get in touch with the prime minister, who emerged from the palace only at about 0600 on Saturday. He had gone inside at about 2300 on Friday, as soon as he was informed of the gruesome incident.
"There were serious fears. We were worried," officials in Kathmandu admitted.
The official said Koirala's family contacted his Cabinet colleagues and senior Nepalese government officials to find out his whereabouts. "But there was no information coming through," the official said.
The belief that Crown Prince Dipendra would not carry out such a massacre prompted people to attribute other motives to the killings. "We thought probably the army was behind it," admitted a source close to the palace. And when the prime minister disappeared inside for such a long time, "our fears only heightened", the source said.
Death of a Monarch: The Complete Coverage
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