Nepal Gen Z protests: Eight dead in prison clashes as 15,000 inmates escape

Amid the ongoing Nepal Gen Z protests at least eight people have died in prison clashes as around 15000 inmates have reportedly escaped from different jails amid the unrest in country reported the PTIWidespread antigovernment protests in Nepal have led to chaos across the country including mass jailbreaks and violent clashes between inmates and security personnelEight prisoners have died in such incidents since Tuesday and over 15000 inmates have reportedly escaped from more than 25 prisons according to the PTIOn Thursday morning three inmates were killed and 13 others injured at the Ramechhap District Prison in Madhesh Province according to police sources The clash began after inmates tried to escape by causing an explosion using a gas cylinder Security forces opened fire to bring the situation under controlThe injured prisoners were taken to Ramechhap District Hospital the police saidThis incident adds to an earlier deadly clash at Naubasta Juvenile Correctional Home in Banke on Tuesday night where five juvenile inmates were killed and four seriously injured The altercation broke out when inmates allegedly attempted to seize weapons from security personnelThe violent unrest led primarily by youth protesters began on 8 September and was sparked by the governmentrsquos ban on social media which it claimed was to curb fake news However critics and rights groups condemned the move as censorship The backlash forced Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli to resign on Tuesday prompting the Nepal Army to impose restrictions across multiple provinces due to the worsening law and order situationAccording to The Kathmandu Post the jailbreaks started when protesters stormed prison facilities set administrative buildings ablaze and forced open gates enabling mass escapes By Wednesday evening over 15000 inmates were confirmed to have fled from 25 prisons though only a small number have been rearrested or returned voluntarilySome of the worsthit facilities include Kathmandu Valleyrsquos Central Jail Sundhara 3300 escapees Nakkhu Prison Lalitpur 1400Dillibazar Prison 1100 Jhumka Prison Sunsari 1575 Banke District Prison 436 Banke Juvenile Reform Centre 122Kaski District Prison Gandaki 773 including 13 Indian nationals and 4 other foreigners Other prisons include Chitwan 700 Kapilvastu 459 Kailali 612 Kanchanpur 478 Sindhuli 500 and Jaleshwar in Mahottari 575 as per the PTIThe Department of Prison Management is still compiling data but its Director General Lila Prasad Sharma confirmed that Nepal Police Armed Police Force and the Nepal Army are being deployed nationwide to regain control and rearrest the escapees the news agency reportedldquoWe are mobilising all available resources to rearrest them as quickly as possiblerdquo DG Sharma told The Kathmandu PostMeanwhile Indiarsquos paramilitary force the Sashastra Seema Bal SSB intercepted 13 prisoners near the Bairganiya checkpoint as they tried to cross the border from Rautahat district in Nepal The prisoners had broken out of Gaur Prison and were attempting to flee into IndiaOut of 291 inmates in Gaur prison 260 escaped with only 31 recaptured by Nepal Police The 13 caught by Indian forces will be returned to Nepal following legal procedures The remaining 216 prisoners are still missingwith PTI inputs