Nepal Army Opens Fire to Thwart Prison Break Amid Political Turmoil

Kathmandu, Thursday: The Nepal Army on Thursday opened fire on inmates attempting to escape from Ramechhap District Prison, as the country grapples with unrest and a deepening power vacuum.

According to The Kathmandu Post, soldiers intervened to prevent a mass breakout, injuring more than a dozen prisoners. Chief District Officer Shyam Krishna Thapa confirmed that inmates had broken through several internal locks and were attempting to smash open the main gate when troops fired. “Around 12 to 13 inmates were injured after the army opened fire as they reached the gate,” Thapa said.

Police later announced that the situation had been brought under control.

Local media reported that similar jailbreaks occurred in Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Lalitpur, with hundreds of prisoners managing to flee.

Across the border, India’s Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) confirmed the capture of 22 Nepali fugitives near Siddharthnagar in Uttar Pradesh. The SSB, placed on high alert since violence erupted in Nepal, has intensified patrols, bolstered deployments, and sealed border crossings.

Meanwhile, Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah issued a public appeal urging Nepal’s Gen Z and the broader population to remain calm as the nation transitions toward an interim government and fresh elections. Calling the present situation “unprecedented”, Shah urged patience, stating: “The country is going to get an interim government, which will hold new elections to give Nepal a new mandate.”

The unrest, initially triggered by a short-lived social media ban and fueled by longstanding frustration over corruption, has spiraled into widespread clashes. Security forces have imposed curfews and deployed the army in Kathmandu and other cities.

To date, the protests have claimed around 25 lives and left more than 600 people injured. Kathmandu’s international airport has reopened after a temporary closure, though prohibitory orders remain in force across several districts as the crisis unfolds.