10 September,2025 05:26 PM IST | Kathmandu | mid-day online correspondent
Security personnel gather to stop prisoners after they attempted to escape by breaching the wall amid anti-government protests, in Nepal, on Wednesday. PIC/PTI
At least five juveniles died during a clash with security personnel at a jail in western Nepal, while more than 7,000 inmates escaped from various prisons across the country amid the violent anti-government protests, according to media reports.
The massive demonstrations, which forced Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to step down on Tuesday, led to a serious law-and-order situation across multiple districts. In response, the Nepal Army imposed nationwide restrictive orders followed by a curfew on Wednesday, reported news agency PTI.
Inmates took advantage of the unrest to attempt escapes from prisons, resulting in violent clashes across several correctional facilities since Tuesday.
"Five juvenile inmates died in a clash with security personnel at the Naubasta Correctional Home in Naubasta Regional Jail located in Baijnath Rural Municipality-3 of Banke on Tuesday night," The Rising Nepal reported, according to PTI.
The juveniles were killed and four others sustained injuries when police opened fire after inmates tried to seize weapons from security personnel, stated the newspaper, quoting the Naubasta Juvenile Correctional Home office.
According to authorities, 149 of the 585 inmates from the prison and 76 of the 176 detainees from the juvenile home escaped during the incident, reported PTI.
MyRepublica reported that around 7,000 inmates have fled from various jails nationwide. Citing Home Ministry sources, the paper said escapes were reported from multiple facilities, including Dillibazar Jail (1,100), Chitwan (700), Nakkhu (1,200), Jhumpka in Sunsari (1,575), Kanchanpur (450), Kailali (612), Jaleshwar (576), Kaski (773), Dang (124), Jumla (36), Solukhumbu (86), Gaur (260), and Bajhang (65).
"The prisoners threatened security personnel while breaking out. With convicts serving sentences for various crimes now at large, fear has gripped the public. Many victims of these crimes have reportedly fled their homes, fearing reprisals," the report said.
In a separate incident, all 471 inmates, including 43 women, escaped from the district jail in Sindhuligadhi, Sindhuli, in southern Nepal's Bagmati province. The prison administration said inmates set fire inside the facility on Wednesday morning and broke the main gate to flee.
Superintendent of Police Laldhwaj Subedi confirmed that all prisoners had broken out of the jail, MyRepublica added.
The Kathmandu Post reported that more than 500 inmates escaped from the Nawalparasi West District Prison in southern Nepal. "Prisoners at the district jail in Nawalparasi West have escaped after they set fires and raised slogans demanding release inside the prison," the newspaper said. It added that despite efforts to control them, most inmates managed to flee.
In Kathmandu, a prisoner attempting to escape from Dillibazar Jail was captured by local youths and handed over to the Nepali Army.
Several inmates also escaped from Rajbiraj prison in Saptari after setting fire inside the facility on Wednesday afternoon. Despite security personnel firing multiple rounds of tear gas to control the situation, some inmates fled. The prison housed 397 inmates at the time, officials said.
In Parsa, inmates attempted to escape Birgunj prison by breaking a large hole in the southern wall. Prison chief Khemraj Bhusal said, "The situation was brought under control after hours of effort by security personnel."
According to KhabarHub, "A video circulating on social media shows an inmate breaking through a windowpane to flee the prison premises. Witnesses said locals chased him down after spotting him running away." The detainee was restrained by residents before being handed over to nearby security forces. The report did not specify if the incident occurred on Tuesday or Wednesday.
In another case, at least 36 prisoners escaped from a jail in Chandanath Municipality-6, Jumla, in western Nepal. Police said the escape occurred at 12:02 am on Wednesday when prisoners reportedly struck the jail warden with a wooden rod and broke the main gate.
DSP Rabin Babu Regmi, chief of police in Jumla, said the search for escaped inmates is ongoing. "The jail held 98 inmates in total, of whom 36 have escaped, while 62 remain in police custody. A total of 15 soldiers have been deployed under the Nepal Army command to secure the jail," the report said.
(With PTI inputs)
