Makawanpur: As many as 1,575 inmates of the total 1,798 at Jhumka Prison in Sunsari escaped on Wednesday as widespread protests trigger unrest Nepal.
Nearly 60 prisoners from Bharatpur Jail in Chitwan also fled and several attempted to escape from Birgunj Jail in Parsa.
According to authorities, prisoners breached the security cordon and broke the boundary wall, vandalising and setting fire to the Bharatpur Jail. This happened after the angry protesters reached the jail premises and drove them out.
According to information given by prison administrator Rabindra Dhungana, the prisoners had started raising slogans and vandalising the property in the morning. “Soon, the situation turned violent when they started setting fire to some areas of the prison. This led to a clash between the prisoners and the security personnel,” he said.
There were 150 security personnel deployed at the prison, which houses more than 740 inmates. Dhungana said the security personnel were struggling to control the vandalism and arson by the prisoners.
The police said the hunt to rearrest the escaped prisoners was underway.
Meanwhile, tension escalated in Birgunj Prison in Parsa after inmates tries to escape. The Nepal Army arrived at the spot and took control of the situation. The security personnel fired hundreds of rounds of aerial gunshots and also used tear gas to bar inmates from escaping the prison premises.
Security forces, including the Nepal Army, were mobilised after prisoners attempted to escape by breaking down the prison wall. Four prisoners were seriously injured in the clash with security personnel. Their identities have not been revealed.
The administration said Birgunj Prison is currently under the Nepal Army’s security and the situation was completely under control.
On Tuesday, protesters had attacked the jail in Jaleshwar of Mahottari. Except one, all 576 prisoners had escaped from the jail amid the turmoil. Thereafter, curfew has been imposed in Mahottari district and the Army has taken charge of the situation with constant street marches.