Nepal is reeling under a prison crisis as violent clashes and mass jailbreaks swept through the country this week, leaving at least three inmates dead on Thursday and more than 15,000 prisoners on the run since anti-government protests spiraled out of control.
The latest fatalities occurred at the Ramechhap District Prison in Madhesh Province, where inmates attempted to break free by detonating a gas cylinder.
Security forces opened fire to contain the situation, killing three prisoners and injuring 13 others, according to police.
The injured were rushed to Ramechhap District Hospital.
Thursday’s incident came just two days after five juvenile inmates were shot dead during a clash at Naubasta Correctional Home in Banke district.
With the fresh deaths, the toll of inmates killed in clashes since Tuesday has risen to eight.
The unrest, triggered by widespread youth-led demonstrations against the government, forced Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli to resign on Tuesday.
The Nepal Army was subsequently deployed as prisons and law enforcement agencies struggled to contain riots across provinces.
Since Tuesday, more than two dozen jails have reported mass breakouts, with thousands of inmates fleeing amid arson attacks and mob-led assaults on prison compounds.
According to The Kathmandu Post, preliminary figures indicate that over 15,000 inmates have escaped from at least 25 facilities, though a small number have either surrendered or been rearrested.
Among the major breaches, Kathmandu Valley’s Central Jail in Sundhara saw 3,300 prisoners escape, Nakkhu Prison in Lalitpur lost 1,400 inmates, and Dillibazar Prison reported 1,100 fugitives.
In the eastern Terai, Jhumka Prison in Sunsari witnessed 1,575 escapees, while facilities in Banke, Kapilvastu, Chitwan, Mahottari, Kailali, Kanchanpur and Sindhuli also reported hundreds of breakouts each.
Officials confirmed that among those who fled the Kaski District Prison in Gandaki province were 13 Indian nationals and several other foreign inmates.
The Department of Prison Management is still compiling final figures from across provinces.
“We are mobilising all available forces, including the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police, to re-arrest the fugitives and restore order,” Director General Lila Prasad Sharma said.
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The prison crisis has spilled over the border. India’s Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) on Thursday detained 13 fugitives from Rautahat district as they tried to cross into Bihar.
They were among 260 inmates who broke out of Gaur Prison near the frontier; while 31 have been returned, most remain at large.
The unprecedented jailbreaks have intensified fears of instability in a country already grappling with political turmoil.
Authorities warn that the combination of violent protests, mass escapes, and strained security resources poses a grave law-and-order challenge across Nepal.
