On Thursday, Dr Samir Kumar Adhikari, joint-spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population, reached his office to take stock of the situation after Tuesday’s mayhem. Several other officials also accompanied him, only to see the devastation caused during the Gen-Z protest two days ago.

“The ministry building has been completely destroyed, and there is no space even to place a chair,” said Adhikari. “Over 25 vehicles parked on the ministry premises have been burnt down."

This was a common refrain across nearly all federal ministries, other government agencies and police stations that suffered huge destruction due to the protesters’ outrage. What concerns officials much is what would happen if a major outbreak occurred in the country during this period, as there is even no place to hold meetings and sit for work, the officials said.

“I had my personal laptop, some important files of the ministry and personal belongings in the office cupboard,” said Adhikari. “The cupboard was safe from outside but when it was broken today, fire was still burning inside.”

Officials say that the fire-engulfed building of the ministry cannot be restored and needs to be rebuilt.

The building was designed by world-renowned American architect Louis I Kahn. International students used to visit the building to study its unique design.

The structure built in 1965 was originally constructed for the use of the Family Planning and Maternal Child Welfare programme. It featured two isometric brick blocks, deep vertical window recess and a roof top parapet with sky-framing apertures and is among few architectural jewels of the country.

The building endured the 1988 and 2015 mega earthquakes. Protesters during 1979, 1990 and 2005 did not target it.

“We have started virtual work of the Health Emergency Operation Centre (HEOC) from the Bir Hospital’s small room,” said Gopal Prasad Pandey, a staffer serving at the HEOC. “We have collected data of injuries from hospitals.”

The HEOC, which plays a crucial role during crises, has been gathering data on the injured and deceased, and coordinating their treatment with hospitals across the country.

As per the data provided by the HEOC, 34 people involved in the protest died and 1,542 others have been injured.

The health ministry data include four deaths—two in the BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, one each in B & C Hospital Birtamod and Birta City Hospital of Jhapa.

The number of dead bodies taken for postmortem at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) has reached 31. The total death toll reached 35, which includes 31 in the Valley and four in Dharan and Jhapa.

According to officials at the Department of Forensic Medicine at the TUTH, where dead bodies of protesters have been taken for postmortem, preliminary identities of 25 victims have been established so far.

One of the six deceased, whose identities are yet to be verified, is a woman.

“We have followed international protocol while carrying out postmortem,” said Dr Gopal Kumar Chaudhary, head of the department. “We are asked to store the body; we cannot unveil details of the deceased.”

Officials say the identities of most of the deceased were established as per the documents recovered from the incident sites or from the identification of the family members.

“We have been showing bodies to the family members of missing persons for identification,” said Chaudhary.

Most of the protesters lost their lives in police firing in the Gen Z protest on Tuesday. Some others succumbed to the injuries while undergoing treatment in various hospitals in Kathmandu and other parts of the country.