In one of the largest jailbreaks in Nepal’s history, more than two dozen prisons across the country witnessed mass escapes on Tuesday and Wednesday after anti-corruption protests turned violent. Thousands of inmates fled amid arson attacks and riots.

The jailbreaks began when youth protesters stormed multiple prison facilities, setting administrative buildings ablaze and forcing open prison gates. By Wednesday evening, preliminary reports confirmed that over 15,000 inmates had fled from more than 25 prisons, with only a fraction returning voluntarily or being rearrested.

The deadliest incident occurred at the Banke Juvenile Reform Centre, where police opened fire during the chaos, killing five inmates. Of the total 228 children at the centre, 122 fled from the facility.

Officials said the shooting was prompted after protesters attempted to seize weapons from security personnel guarding the facility.

In the Kathmandu Valley, mass breakouts were reported from two major prisons. At the Central Jail in Sundhara alone, around 3,300 inmates escaped, while another 1,400 fled from the Nakkhu Prison in Lalitpur.

At Dillibazar Prison in Kathmandu, inmates attempted to break out by setting fires, but the attempt was foiled by security forces. Inmates still mangaed to come out to the streets chanting slogans before the Nepali Army cordoned off the area to block further movement.

Onlinekhabar, a leading news website, quoted Deputy Inspector General of Nepal Police Binod Ghimire as saying that over 13,570 prisoners escaped the prisons across the country.

Families of crime victims have expressed fear as inmates convicted of heinous crimes such as murders, rapes, abductions, and human trafficking have also escaped.

In Gandaki province, the Kaski District Prison saw 773 inmates escape after protesters set fire to the administrative block on Tuesday evening. Jailor Rajendra Sharma said the prison was holding 500 convicted prisoners, including two serving life sentences, while others were under judicial custody.

“The administrative building has been destroyed. We have no electricity, water, or food supplies left. Contact with many inmates is completely lost,” Sharma told reporters. Among the escapees were 13 Indian nationals and four other foreigners.

The eastern Tarai witnessed the highest concentration of jailbreaks. At Rautahat’s Gaur Prison, 260 inmates, including over 100 convicted of murder, fled after anti-corruption protesters stormed the compound.

Mahottari’s Jaleshwar Prison reported 575 escapes, while 1,575 prisoners fled from the Jhumka Prison in Sunsari, one of the country’s largest facilities. Authorities said 220 inmates later returned voluntarily or were captured by the army.

In Chitwan, 700 inmates escaped, leaving only 40 behind by Wednesday morning. Similarly, 459 prisoners fled from Kapilvastu District Prison after setting fires in two separate blocks; police later recaptured 74 of them from nearby markets and highways.

The western hills and far-western districts also reported major breakouts. Parbat Prison lost 86 of its 99 inmates after protesters stormed the facility late Tuesday night, while 436 prisoners fled from the Banke District Prison.

Kailali Prison saw 612 inmates escape, but only one was recaptured by army patrols by Wednesday evening. In Kanchanpur, 478 of 501 inmates fled, including 26 women; 21 later returned voluntarily, nine of them Indian nationals.

Dadeldhura Prison reported that 85 inmates escaped, with security forces managing to arrest 32. Doti, Baitadi, and Makawanpur districts reported breakouts of 62, 124, and 260 prisoners, respectively. Sindhuli Prison saw around 500 inmates flee after arson destroyed its main gate.

The Department of Prison Management stated that it was still compiling final figures from all provinces. Director General Lila Prasad Sharma confirmed that security forces—including the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, and 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," he added.

(With inputs from our local correspondents)