Kathmandu: The Nepal Army opened fire on Thursday morning to stop a mass escape attempt at Ramechhap District Prison, injuring more than a dozen inmates, officials said.

According to Kathmandu Post, quoting Chief District Officer Shyam Krishna Thapa, prisoners broke through multiple internal locks and attempted to smash the main gate before security forces intervened. Meanwhile, media reports say that two inmates died following the firing.

“Around 12 to 13 inmates were injured after the army opened fire as they reached the gate,” he said. The prison, located in Ward 8 of Ramechhap Municipality, houses over 300 inmates. The authorities confirmed that all prisoners are now under control and the situation is calm.

The incident comes amid a wave of unrest in Nepal following violent protests that forced Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli to resign. Nepalese troops have patrolled streets to maintain order, and nationwide curfews and restrictive measures were imposed until Thursday morning.

According to PTI sources, former chief justice Sushila Karki, Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah, and former electricity board CEO Kulman Ghising are among the names being considered by the Gen Z-led protest group for an interim government. Meanwhile, Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu resumed operations on Wednesday evening, a day after closing due to the protests.