Kathmandu, Sept. 14 -- 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 tota...