Teen killed as communal clashes spread across Nepal; toll rises to 3

Kathmandu, Jul 30 (PTI) A teenager died on Thursday in clashes in Nepal's Madhesh province prompting authorities to extend curfew to more areas following communal violence in neighbouring Koshi province’s Sunsari district, bordering India, earlier this week that left one person dead and several others injured.

The teenager died in the clashes that erupted in Golbazar market in Siraha district of Madhesh province, while one person, who was injured in the Sunsari violence, died in Koshi province , officials said.

This takes the death toll to three in the week-long communal violence that has hit Nepal's two provinces, Koshi and Madhes, both bordering Bihar.

Indefinite curfew was imposed in parts of Dhanusa, Siraha and Birgunj districts of Madhesh province on Thursday while in Sunsari district, where curfew was first imposed on Monday, it remained in force indefinitely.

One person was killed and more than a dozen people, including security personnel, were injured when police opened fire to disperse clashing groups after a dispute during celebrations by two religious communities in the Kaptangunj area of Dewangunj Rural Municipality in Sunsari district on Sunday.

On Thursday, Ganesh Yadav, 15, of Tulsipur near Golbazar in Siraha district sustained serious injuries during the clashes between two groups. Yadav died while undergoing treatment at a local hospital, police said.

The indefinite curfew order in Golbazar area was extended to Lahan Municipality on Thursday to keep the situation under control, according to the district administration. The incident occurred during violent protests organised by different groups in the Golbazar area, where the agitators also set afire a shopping mall.

Jaya Prakash Mehta, who sustained serious injuries during communal clashes in Dewangunj Rural Municipality of Sunsari district died on Thursday while undergoing treatment at a Neuro Hospital in Biratnagar, according to Bechan Mehta, chairman of the rural municipality.

Mehta announced Nepalee Rupees one million each compensation to the two individuals killed during Sunday's communal violence in Dewangunj.

In a related development, the District Administration Office of Parsa in Madhesh province issued prohibitory orders in parts of Birgunj Metropolitan City as precautionary measures.

The administration issued prohibitory orders after demonstrations by some people in response to the violence that erupted following clashes between two religious groups in Sunsari.

The prohibitory orders were applicable to area between Pratima Chowk in the east, Tilabe bridge in the west, Gandak Chowk in the north and Shankaracharya Gate in the south of Birgunj, bordering Raxaul in Bihar, according to a notice issued by DAO Parsa.

Under the prohibitory orders, assembly of five or more people are prohibited, no demonstration, sit-in, public meeting or meeting are allowed. The prohibitory order will be in effect from 5 pm Thursday till 6 am Friday, the officials said.

Earlier on Thursday, various parts of Dhanusa, including Laxminia Hatbazaar, Belauni Road, Nagarain Municipality, Dudhmati bridge and Janakpur were placed under curfew from 3:30 pm for an indefinite period as a precautionary measure due to communal tensions, Assistant Chief District Officer of Dhanusha, Bhudev Jha, said.

The curfew imposed in Sunsari district, which was first imposed on Monday, continued to be extended for an indefinite period, though the situation was slowly improving.

Sunsari's Assistant Chief District Officer Poshan Lamichhane on Thursday said the security situation in Sunsari district is gradually improving but the district administration extended the curfew to 10 areas, including the East-West Highway, to control the situation.

Several lawmakers, including Basna Thapa of Nepali Congress and Oren Rai of Shram Sanskriti Party, drew the attention of the government towards the growing tension in the southern Nepal districts, including Sunsari, while speaking in Parliament on Thursday.

Prime Minister Balendra Shah chaired the 43rd meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) during the day, which focusing on the country’s overall law and order situation. “The meeting conducted a comprehensive review of national security and also evaluated recent unrest in Sunsari,” official sources said.

President Ramchandra Paudel, expressing deep concern over the situation, appealed to all for maintaining social, religious and communal harmony and national unity.

“Goodwill, reconciliation and brotherhood are the unique features of the identity and tradition of Nepalese people, in a country characterised by multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-racial society,” President Paudel said in a statement.

He also called upon agencies concerned to take stern action against the culprits by conducting neutral and factual investigation into the incident.

Sunsari, situated in southeastern Nepal along the border with India's Bihar, is a crucial transit and commercial corridor between the two countries. The southern districts of Madhesh and Koshi provinces also share borders with Bihar. PTI