Over 15,000 inmates have escaped from more than 25 prisons across Nepal since Tuesday amid widespread violent protests against corruption and the government in the country, The Kathmandu Post reported.

The jailbreaks began after protesters stormed several prison facilities, setting administrative buildings ablaze and forcing open prison gates. Reports also emerged of inmates attempting to take over facilities and escape, leading to clashes with security personnel, amid the protests.

In Banke district, five juvenile inmates died and four were injured in clashes with security personnel at the Naubasta Correctional Home in the Naubasta Regional Jail, The Rising Nepal reported.

The five minors were killed when the police opened fire during the clashes that broke out when inmates tried to take over the weapons of the security personnel in the correctional home.

On Wednesday, The Kathmandu Post quoted preliminary reports as saying that over 15,000 inmates had fled from more than 25 prisons, with only a fraction returning voluntarily or being rearrested.

The Department of Prison Management, however, stated that it was still compiling final figures from all provinces.

Director General Lila Prasad Sharma told The Kathmandu Post that the Nepali Army, the Armed Police Force and the Nepal Police had been deployed nationwide to re-arrest escapees and restore order.

“We are mobilising all available resources to re-arrest them as quickly as possible,” Sharma added.

Rabi Lamichhane, former deputy prime minister and chairperson of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, was among those set free from the Nakkhu central jail in Lalitpur, The Indian Express reported. He had been arrested in April in connection with an alleged cooperative scam, The Print reported.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party is the fourth-largest party in Nepal’s parliament.

The protests

The agitation in the country was sparked by the Nepali government’s ban on 26 social media platforms, but evolved into a broader protest against alleged corruption and misgovernance.

On Monday, protesters clashed with security forces, leading to the deaths of 19 persons. Around 400 protesters were injured in the clashes. Amid pressure from the public, the government lifted the social media ban on Monday night.

The demonstrations have been described as a protest mainly by “Gen Z”, generally referring to persons born between 1996 and 2010.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned from his post on Tuesday in light of the protests. Hours later, the Army said that it will assume control of security operations in the country from 10 pm as violent unrest continued in Kathmandu and other cities.

On Wednesday, the Army extended orders prohibiting public gatherings till 5 pm and said that after that, a nationwide curfew will be imposed till 6 am on Thursday amid the widespread protests.

The Army claimed that “unruly groups” had infiltrated the protests and had carried out acts of vandalism, arson, looting, targeted attacks on individuals and property, and attempted sexual assaults.

Later on Wednesday, the leaders of the protest against corruption and the government in the country proposed former Chief Justice Sushila Karki to serve as the country’s interim prime minister.

Karki told CNN-News18 that she had accepted the protesters’ request.

On Thursday, Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah said that he will support Karki as the interim prime minister. “This interim government’s job is to conduct elections and give new mandate to the country,” Shah said on social media.

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