The 79-year-old leader, who was Prime Minister from February 2014 to October 2015, died at his residence in Maharajgunj in the outskirts of capital Kathmandu at 12.50 am (local time) due to pneumonia, Nepali Congress general secretary Prakash Man Singh said.
Koirala, the president of the country’s biggest political party, the Nepali Congress, which has always maintained good relations with Indian political system, was suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
His doctor Kabirnath Yogi said Koirala, who was earlier successfully treated for lung cancer in the US, died after he developed pneumonia after a bout of bronchitis’ infection due to change in the weather.
“He had a normal meal Monday evening. All of a sudden, Koirala’s health deteriorated and he breathed his last at 12:50 am.” After assuming office, he was tasked with formulating the long-delayed Constitution to bring stability after years of ethnic conflict and the abolition of the 239-year-old monarchy.