Communal tensions that erupted after a dispute in Sunsari have spread in several Tarai districts, leaving three people dead, and prompting sweeping security measures across four districts.

Authorities have imposed curfew orders in Sunsari, Saptari Siraha and Dhanusha as of Thursday night, while a prohibitory order was enforced in Parsa as violence spread from the eastern district of Sunsari. Nepal Police, the Armed Police Force and the Nepali Army have been deployed in large numbers to contain the unrest.

The latest fatality was Ganesh Yadav, 17, of ward 2 in Aurahi Rural Municipality in Siraha who died after being shot during clashes in Golbazar on Thursday afternoon. Earlier in the day, Jaya Prakash Mehta, 20, who had been critically injured in Sunday’s violence in Sunsari, died while undergoing treatment at Neuro Hospital in Biratnagar. The unrest began after 24-year-old Om Prakash Mehta of ward 3 in Dewanganj Rural Municipality was shot dead on Sunday night during a confrontation between two communities in Sunsari.

Police headquarters said security forces have been instructed to prioritise crowd-control measures such as tear gas and baton charges, while maintaining dialogue with community leaders, local representatives and other stakeholders.

“We have directed personnel to use force proportionately and focus on engagement with communities to prevent further escalation,” Deputy Inspector General Abi Narayan Kafle, spokesperson for Nepal Police, told Kantipur.

The situation deteriorated rapidly in Siraha’s Golbazar after protesters defied a curfew imposed from 2pm.

Yadav had received bullet injuries in his neck, according to doctors involved in his treatment. Another victim, 19-year-old Subhash Thakur of ward 8 in Dhanushadham Municipality in Dhanusha district, suffered a gunshot wound to the back and was transferred to the BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences in Dharan. Doctors described his condition as critical.

Police have yet to determine where the fatal shots came from—the Nepal Police, the Armed Police Force or the Nepali Army teams deployed.

“The situation remains tense,” Superintendent Ramesh Bahadur Pal, spokesperson for the District Police Office, Siraha, said. “Our immediate priority is to restore order.”

Protests had begun early Thursday morning when demonstrators blocked the East-West Highway at Kasaha before unrest spread to Golbazar. Protesters vandalised and set fire to several shops, including the AB Mall, before security forces moved in.

Residents said another group, carrying homemade weapons and travelling on around two dozen motorcycles and several auto-rickshaws, arrived in the town around midday, sharply escalating tensions.

As rival groups gathered on opposite sides of the town, security forces dispersed crowds using baton charges and 21 rounds of tear gas shells. The district administration imposed a curfew from 2pm, and the Nepali Army was deployed.

Despite the restrictions, protesters again advanced towards the highway around 3:30pm, after which security personnel opened fire, according to officials.

The shooting further inflamed the situation. Protesters torched and vandalised more than a dozen businesses.

“The town remained gripped by fear throughout the day,” said resident Surendra Sah.

Civil society leader Arjun Thapaliya blamed the violence on security failures.

“The security agencies failed to act despite protests continuing for days. They should have anticipated what was coming,” he said.

Police also fired warning shots and used tear gas in Lahan after another confrontation threatened to erupt between two communities. A curfew has also been imposed there.

Siraha Chief District Officer Surendra Paudel said the administration would review the security situation before deciding whether to expand the restrictions. He said authorities were coordinating with political parties and community representatives to prevent further violence.

Janakpur under curfew

The unrest reached Madhesh provincial headquarters of Janakpur on Thursday morning, where demonstrators shut markets and clashed repeatedly with police before authorities imposed an indefinite curfew from 3:30pm.

Chief District Officer Prem Prasad Luitel said the indefinite curfew covers all wards of Janakpurdham Sub-metropolitan City and adjoining areas extending from Laxminiya in the north to Nagarain in the south, and from the Belouni Road corridor in the east to the Sinurjoda and Dudhmati Bridge areas in the west. The administration published detailed boundary coordinates in its official order.

The district administration has also authorised the Nepali Army to use live ammunition if necessary while enforcing the curfew, instructing troops to apply only the minimum force required.

Earlier in the day, large groups of protesters moved through Janakpur, forcing businesses to close. Clashes with police broke out at Ramananda Chowk and Bajrang Chowk.

Police said several protesters were injured.

“After the curfew, the situation has begun to stabilise,” a security official in Dhanusha said. “Protesters had started targeting homes, businesses and community-specific properties, making a stronger security response necessary.”

The Nepali Army has deployed armoured vehicles, helicopters and foot patrols across Janakpur.

In Parsa district, the administration imposed prohibitory orders in sensitive parts of Birgunj from 5pm Thursday until 6am Friday.

The order bans gatherings of more than five people, demonstrations, rallies and other public assemblies. Officials warned that anyone violating the restrictions would face legal action.

The curfew covering ten local units in Sunsari, first enforced on Tuesday night, remained in effect for a third consecutive day.

Officials said the security situation had gradually improved, but the restrictions could not be lifted because negotiations with the families of those killed had yet to produce an agreement.

The body of Om Prakash Mehta remains in hospital as his family continues to refuse to collect it.

The family has demanded that he be declared a martyr, provided adequate compensation and assured that those responsible for the shooting will be prosecuted before they agree to perform his funeral rites.

Authorities have urged residents to comply with the curfew, avoid rumours and help maintain public order.

As tensions spread across the Madhesh region, Nepal Police has reinforced deployments by recalling officers from elsewhere in the country.

The police headquarters has suspended all leaves except for bereavement and maternity-related cases to ensure sufficient personnel are available in affected districts.

“We are concentrating manpower wherever the security challenge is greatest to prevent further loss of life and property,” Kafle said.

Addressing the nation on Thursday evening, Prime Minister Balendra Shah pledged an impartial investigation into the violence and said the government would take all necessary measures to restore peace.