JEDDAH, 4 June — The local Nepalese community was reeling under shock and disbelief over the tragedy that wiped out their king, queen and other members of the royal family. King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya, their children Prince Nirajan, 22, and Princess Shruti, 24, and one of the king's cousins, Princess Jayanti Shah, were shot dead during a family dinner at the royal palace on Friday night reportedly by Crown Prince Dipendra who later turned the gun on himself.
Details of the massacre were unclear as differing official versions only added to speculation and wild rumor about the circumstances behind the killings. “It’s not only shocking, tragic news but a bad one for our kingdom,” remarked Dr. Chhabindra Lal Pradhananga, a Nepalese specialist at a Ministry of Health hospital.
Pradhananga said: “While the community is debating various theories that caused the tragedy, what is much more shocking is that most members of the royal family are no more.”
Mahesh Chandra Regmi, commercial manager at a leading engineering company, said: “We feel sad for what happened. We all had great regard for the royal family.”
A Nepalese employee at Siemens company said: “I just can’t believe that our beloved king and queen are dead. They were adored by the entire community here like those back home. Everything appeared to be smooth sailing for our country until we heard the tragic news.”
Another worker said: “It’s difficult to believe what happened. All of us are glued to news channels for updates.”
Nepalese expatriates total around 80,000 all over Saudi Arabia. An estimated 100 Nepalese expatriates work in Saudia Catering and live in the Saudia Compound. Some others work in companies specializing in dairy products, Dr. Pradhananga added.
A stunned Nepalese American said: “The tragic news is a big shock and difficult to believe. We still wonder what caused the bloodbath.”
Like the Nepalese community, expatriates from other countries were stunned by the mayhem. “It’s shocking indeed,” was the general remark from Western expatriates as well as those from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
“What surprises us is the report that the bloodbath was the result of a dispute over the selection of a bride by the crown prince,” an American executive in the dairy industry said.
