Nepal protesters set fire to parliament building: Spokesman

Nepali protesters broke into the nation's parliament on Tuesday and set the building ablaze, an official said, after the prime minister quit in the wake of a deadly crackdown on anti-government demonstrations.

"Hundreds have breached the parliament area and torched the main building," Ekram Giri, spokesman for the Parliament Secretariat, told AFP.

Nepal's president called for national unity on Tuesday after two days of violent protests, including rallies against a government ban on social media that forced the prime minister to resign.

"I urge everyone, including the protesting citizens, to cooperate for a peaceful resolution of the country's difficult situation," President Ramchandra Paudel said in a statement, after protesters set fire to parliament as well as his office.

"I appeal to all parties to exercise restraint, to not allow further damage to the country, and to come to talks."