A bomb blast killed four people in fresh violence in Nepal today just hours before King Gyanendra left for his first foreign tour since seizing power two months ago.
Three policemen and a civilian were killed and five policemen were wounded in the blast in the temple town of Janakpur as the monarch left for Indonesia to participate in the Asian-African summit, his first foreign trip since the February 1 power grab.
"The bomb was concealed in a sack of sand and it exploded as policemen tried to clear it," one government official told Reuters.
The king will also travel to China on April 24 to attend an Asian economic conference at Boao, in Hainan province, and visit Singapore before returning to Kathmandu on April 29.
"We believe that this will help consolidate cordial relations and understandings between Nepal and these nations," the king said in a statement before leaving on the tour.
The 57-year-old monarch of the impoverished Himalayan kingdom has been condemned by many nations for his power grab that included the detention of politicians, suspension of civil liberties and curbs on press freedom.