Nepal is facing a severe law-and-order crisis as violent anti-government protests erupted across the country, leading to the resignation of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli. Amid the unrest, over 7,000 prisoners have escaped from jails nationwide, exploiting the chaos, according to media reports.

In western Nepal, five juvenile inmates were killed and four others seriously injured during a clash with security personnel at the Naubasta Correctional Home in Banke’s Baijnath Rural Municipality-3. Police opened fire when inmates attempted to seize weapons from the correctional facility, resulting in fatalities and injuries. During the incident, 149 of 585 adult inmates and 76 of 176 juvenile detainees managed to flee.

Reports from multiple sources, including MyRepublica, indicate that escapes have occurred across several prisons, 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). Additionally, 471 inmates, including 43 women, fled Sindhuligadhi District Jail in Sindhuli province after setting fire inside the facility and breaking the main gate.

In Nawalparasi West District Prison, more than 500 inmates escaped following fires and slogans demanding release. Similar incidents were reported from Rajbiraj Prison in Saptari and Birgunj Prison in Parsa, where inmates attempted breakouts by setting fires and breaching walls. In Kathmandu, one inmate attempting to flee Dillibazar Jail was captured by local residents and handed over to the Nepali Army.

In Jumla, 36 prisoners escaped from Chandanath Municipality-6 jail after assaulting the warden with a wooden rod and breaking the main gate. Police and army personnel continue the search for the fugitives. Authorities have heightened security nationwide to contain the situation, as escaped convicts serving sentences for various crimes have instilled fear among the general public.