KATHMANDU, Nepal — Nepal began easing restrictions Saturday after former Chief Justice Sushila Karki was sworn in as interim prime minister, becoming the country’s first woman to hold the post.

Authorities lifted the curfew and prohibitory orders in Kathmandu, though access to sensitive areas remains restricted.

The measures had been imposed earlier in the week after mass protests turned violent.

At least 51 people have been killed and hundreds injured since Monday in unrest sparked by a social media ban imposed by the previous government.

The demonstrations grew into a wider movement against alleged corruption and nepotism among Nepal’s political elite, with protesters targeting residences, the Supreme Court, and other government buildings.

Karki was appointed Friday by President Ramchandra Paudel in an unprecedented decision to install a leader from outside parliament.

Shortly after she took the oath of office, Nepal’s 275-seat parliament was dissolved, with fresh elections scheduled for March. — Agencies