Kailali Prison has come under the control of inmates following a violent clash between prisoners on Friday night. The incident claimed the life of 40-year-old Bharat Chaudhary, who was serving time for a drug-related offense, and left 47 others injured. Among the injured, Ayush Bhatt of Godawari Municipality and Ravi Chaudhary of Dhangadhi are in the ICU.

The prison, which has a capacity of 150 inmates, currently holds around 700. Security personnel have not yet been able to enter the premises, and the extent of damage inside remains unknown. Prisoners have locked the main cell block gate from the inside and placed gas cylinders at the entrance, threatening to blow them up if anyone tries to enter.

During the clash, inmates from Block A broke through a bricked-up door — originally sealed years ago — using gym equipment and forced their way into Block B. There, they attacked sleeping prisoners with rods, khukuris (traditional Nepali knives), knives, and bricks. Some victims were dragged back to Block A and beaten further.

The attack was reportedly triggered by two main issues: the transfer of inmates involved in the Bhupendra Baduwal murder case and disputes over replacing the prison’s “naike” (inmate leader). The same dispute had sparked a smaller clash on Thursday, injuring five. Those involved in Friday’s attack included convicts in the Baduwal murder case, the Arjun Das murder case, and a group accused of assaulting an electricity worker in Attariya with a khukuri.

According to sources, Chief District Officer (CDO) Gogan Bahadur Hamal had been informed earlier on Friday about the planned attack but allegedly dismissed the warning, which allowed the situation to escalate.

The atmosphere inside the prison remains tense, with security forces attempting to enter but being deterred by threats of an explosion. Authorities have described the situation as highly sensitive.