Massive Prison Breaks Shatter Nepal Amid Gen Z-Led Protests

Kathmandu, Sep 11 (PTI): Violent clashes in a Nepal jail on Thursday resulted in the deaths of at least three inmates, while more than 15,000 prisoners have escaped from over two dozen prisons nationwide. The mass escapes occurred after anti-government protests erupted across the Himalayan nation.

These recent fatalities bring the total number of inmates who have died in confrontations with security forces to eight since the violence began on Tuesday. The anti-government demonstrations have been led by the Gen Z group, causing widespread unrest.

On Tuesday, the protest turmoil prompted Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli to resign. In response, the Nepal Army imposed restrictions due to severe law and order concerns across various provinces.

On Thursday morning, a violent clash erupted between inmates and security personnel at the Ramechhap district prison in Madhesh province. Three inmates were killed and 13 others injured after inmates attempted to escape by detonating a gas cylinder. Security forces opened fire to regain control, according to a police source.

The injured were transported to Ramechhap District Hospital, authorities confirmed.

Since the protests began, more than two dozen prisons across Nepal have experienced clashes, arson, and riots, leading to mass breakouts of inmates. Reports indicate that over 15,000 prisoners have fled, with only a small number returning voluntarily or being recaptured.

According to reports, the jailbreaks started when youth protesters attacked multiple prison facilities, setting administrative buildings on fire and forcing prison gates open. By Wednesday evening, preliminary accounts indicated mass escapes from over 25 prisons, as cited by The Kathmandu Post.

In Gandaki province's Kaski District Prison, 773 inmates escaped, including 13 Indian nationals and four other foreigners, noted jailor Rajendra Sharma.

The Department of Prison Management stated that it is still compiling final figures from all provinces. Director General Lila Prasad Sharma confirmed that security forces, including the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, and Nepal Police, have been deployed nationwide to re-arrest escapees and restore order.

“We are mobilizing all available resources to re-arrest them as quickly as possible,” DG Sharma told The Kathmandu Post.

Earlier incidents included the death of five juvenile inmates during a clash at the Naubasta Correctional Home in Baijnath Rural Municipality-3 of Banke in western Nepal. The confrontation occurred when some inmates attempted to seize the weapons of correctional staff.

Major escapes reported by the newspaper include Banke Juvenile Reform Centre (122 inmates), Banke District Prison (436), and Kathmandu Valley’s Central Jail in Sundhara (3,300) among others.

Meanwhile, India's paramilitary force, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), captured 13 escapees near the Bairganiya checkpoint as they attempted to cross into India. The detainees will be handed over to the Nepal Police following due process, according to a Nepal Police source.

Of the 291 inmates serving at the Gaur prison in Rautahat district, nearly 260 inmates escaped during the Gen Z protests. Police have recaptured 31 escapees, while 13 have been apprehended by Indian forces. The remaining 216 inmates are still at large.

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