Latest from crisis-hit Nepal: Jailbreaks, arson, curfew, and mounting death toll as Army deploys troops to restore order

Nepal, a tiny South Asian nation located in the lap of the snow-clad Himalayas, has been reeling under a wave of violent protests since the start of this week.

The Gen Z protests, which began over alleged rampant corruption and coincided with a social media ban, took a violent turn on Monday after police, outnumbered by protesters, opened fire.

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The death of 19 protesters in police fire made the situation so much worse that come Tuesday, the entire country was thrown under chaos as protesters rampaged through the streets of the capital, Kathmandu, and several other cities, setting on fire the Parliament building and the residences of political elites, including the president, the prime minister, and ministers, as well as some private properties.

An angry mob entered the house of former Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal and set it on fire, resulting in the death of his wife, Rajyalaxmi Chitrakar. Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel was chased through the streets of Kathmandu and thrashed by the violent protesters.

The protesters were clear on one thing: they wanted the KP Sharma Oli-led government to go down. Oli resigned, and so did several of his cabinet ministers, but their resignations were not enough to calm the angry mob.

After PM Oli’s resignation, the Nepal Army assumed control of the security operations, urging the protesters to engage in dialogue and at the same time warning them of strict action if the violence continued.

On Wednesday, the country is on edge as the situation remained tense with a nationwide curfew in force. Jailbreak attempts were made in several districts, and weapons were looted as the Army was deployed to restore order.

Below are the top latest updates from the crisis-hit Nepal:

• Five people were killed in the Banke Juvenile Reform Home during an attempted prison break amid protests. This takes the death toll to 27. But the figure is not final in the absence of an official update.
• Prisoners at Kapilvastu Prison escaped after damaging the facility. They set the nearby court building on fire.
• Inmates at Dillibazar Prison set it afire, and preparations are being made to transfer them.
• The UN Secretary-General has issued a statement on the situation.
• Several robbery suspects were arrested, with NPR 3.3 million seized from Kathmandu’s Bauddha.
• Except for the Baitadi District Jail in the far west, inmates have escaped from all other district jails.
• The army recovered looted weapons from Kathmandu and Pokhara.
• Two police personnel from Maharajganj Circle have died.
• A woman’s body was found in a house set on fire by protesters in Pokhara.
• A juvenile offender escaped from Biratnagar Juvenile Reform Home.