Acting king says Nepal shootings were an accident

Nepal's acting king says the deaths of eight members of the royal family were due to an accidental shooting.

This contradicts reports that the crown prince had massacred his relatives in a dispute over his wedding plans.

Nepal's new king, who allegedly was the gunman, is clinging to life.

King Dipendra was pictured in royal attire on page one of the government newspaper, The Rising Nepal.

In reality, the 29-year-old royal remains in critical condition in a hospital and his uncle, Prince Gyanendra, is acting king.

Prince Gyanendra issued a statement Sunday blaming "accidental firing of an automatic weapon" for the death of King Birendra, the queen and six other royals.

The late king's younger brother did not say that his nephew, whose title is now King Dipendra, was the gunman, as government officials and senior military sources inside the palace have maintained.

But senior military and palace sources continue to say the crown prince shot the family and then himself.