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🇳🇵 Nepal /Disasters & Emergencies

Violence Spreads Across Nepal's Tarai Districts, Death Toll Rises to Three

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Ongoing story
  • Communal tensions originating in Sunsari have spread across multiple Tarai districts in Nepal, resulting in three deaths and widespread security measures including curfews.
  • The violence has led to significant deployments of police, armed police, and the army to control unrest, with authorities prioritizing crowd-control measures while engaging community leaders.
  • The exact source of fatal shots remains undetermined, and the situation remains tense as authorities focus on restoring order amidst ongoing protests and vandalism.

Communal tensions, initially sparked by a dispute in Nepal's Sunsari district, have rapidly spread across several Tarai districts, leading to three fatalities and prompting extensive security operations. Authorities have imposed curfews in Sunsari, Saptari, Siraha, and Dhanusha, with prohibitory orders in Parsa, as violence spilled over from Sunsari. Nepal Police, the Armed Police Force, and the Nepali Army are deployed in large numbers to contain the escalating unrest.

The latest victim, 17-year-old Ganesh Yadav, died from a gunshot wound in Siraha's Golbazar after protesters defied a curfew. Earlier, Jaya Prakash Mehta, 20, succumbed to injuries sustained during the initial violence in Sunsari. The unrest began with the fatal shooting of 24-year-old Om Prakash Mehta on Sunday night during a confrontation between two communities.

We have directed personnel to use force proportionately and focus on engagement with communities to prevent further escalation.

— Abi Narayan KafleDeputy Inspector General and spokesperson for Nepal Police, on crowd-control measures and dialogue.

Nepal Police spokesperson Deputy Inspector General Abi Narayan Kafle stated that security forces are instructed to use proportionate force, prioritizing crowd-control measures like tear gas and baton charges, alongside dialogue with community leaders. However, the source of the fatal shots remains unclear, with police yet to determine if they originated from Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, or Nepali Army teams. The situation remains tense, with authorities focused on restoring order, particularly in Siraha's Golbazar where protesters continued to advance despite restrictions.

The situation remains tense. Our immediate priority is to restore order.

— Ramesh Bahadur PalSuperintendent and spokesperson for the District Police Office, Siraha.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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