Nepal is anxiously awaiting the new king's explanation of a massacre that left 10 members of the country's royal family dead - but the real answers could lie outside the country itself.

Devyani Rana, a beautiful aristocrat who was, according to some accounts, the catalyst for the massacre, has fled her family's palace in Katmandu for neighboring India, where her family has powerful connections, sources told the BBC.

However, there are conflicting reports from local media outlets that she may have left the capital and be hiding elsewhere in Nepal.

The most widely held explanation for the massacre is that Crown Prince Dipendra, 29, heir to the throne, shot dead eight of the royal family including his parents and turned the gun on himself after an argument over his marriage plans.

Queen Reportedly Objected to Prince's Intended

It was not unexpected that the prince planned to marry Rana - the pair was often seen dining out at a local pizza restaurant near the royal palace, and some newspaper reports say they had also been seen together in Australia and London.

Queen Aiswarya, Dipendra's mother, who had a reputation for being strong-willed, reportedly objected to the marriage, but it was not clear what the queen's alleged objections were.

There has been much speculation: Some reports said the queen preferred an arranged marriage, which many Nepalese have, and others said Rana's family connections to India may have been a problem, since relations between the two countries are sensitive.

Still others theorized that the queen was worried because the union was apparently not written in the stars. Astrologers said the couple's horoscopes were not "cosmically synchronized" and warned of a great tragedy if the wedding happened, the BBC reported.

There were also local media reports that Dipendra had already secretly married Rana in a temple according to Hindu rites, and others said his father told him that he would be passed over as heir if he married her.

Dipendra spent the weekend in a coma and was technically the king during that period. However, he was pronounced dead early today and his uncle, Gyanendra, succeeded to the throne.

On Saturday, Gyanendra blamed the deaths on "accidental" fire from an automatic weapon. In a nationally televised address today, he announced that a three-member panel would investigate the royal killings for three days and make its findings public.

An Unsettled Populace

Meanwhile, police in Nepal have imposed a 4 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew after angry and grief-stricken crowds stormed the streets, demanding to know the truth behind the killings. "Do not go out of your houses or you can be shot," state-run radio announced.

Earlier today, police fired bullets and tear gas at rioting youths. Two people died and at least 19 were injured, doctors told The Associated Press.

Many refused to believe that Crown Prince Dipendra had killed his family and then himself, as officials say. Thousands of people marched, chanting "Dipendra is innocent" and "Punish the real murderers." Others yelled: "We don't want Gyanendra."

There were also press suggestions that Gyanendra may have killed them, but those questions drew violent emotion as well. About 50 young men burned newspapers in the main shopping district and chanted slogans against the press for the suggestions, the BBC reported.

In quieter parts of Katmandu, Gyanendra was enthroned today. He traveled in a somber procession to the royal palace, as thousands lined the path. But there was little applause, and few people along the route clasped their hands together in the traditional Hindu greeting of respect when their new monarch passed.

At the palace ceremony, Gyanendra moved to the throne, with a freshly shaven head - a traditional show of respect for the dead. He was then given a crown topped with a large cream-colored plume.

(China Daily 06/05/2001)