Police said inmates tried blasting open the facility with a gas cylinder, prompting security forces to fire.
Kathmandu
Nepal is facing a spiraling crisis after violent anti-government protests triggered mass jailbreaks across the country, leaving at least eight inmates dead and more than 15,000 fugitives on the run.
The unrest escalated following Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli’s resignation on Tuesday, with prisons across multiple provinces witnessing arson, riots, and breakouts. By Wednesday evening, authorities reported that over two dozen prisons had been stormed by protesters, allowing thousands of inmates to escape.
On Thursday morning, three prisoners were killed and 13 others injured during a violent confrontation at Ramechhap District Prison in Madhesh province. Police said the clash began when inmates attempted to blow open a section of the facility using a gas cylinder, forcing security personnel to open fire. The injured have been admitted to Ramechhap District Hospital.
Earlier, five juvenile inmates were killed on Tuesday night during clashes at the Naubasta Juvenile Correctional Home in Banke district after prisoners attempted to seize weapons from guards.
Among the largest breakouts were Kathmandu Valley’s Central Jail in Sundhara (3,300 inmates), Nakkhu Prison in Lalitpur (1,400), Jhumka Prison in Sunsari (1,575), and Dillibazar Prison (1,100). Several others reported hundreds of escapees, including foreign nationals.
The Department of Prison Management confirmed that the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, and Nepal Police have been deployed nationwide to re-arrest escapees. “We are mobilising all available resources to restore order,” said Director General Lila Prasad Sharma.