Nepal towns under curfew after sectarian violence erupts

Several towns in southeastern Nepal stayed under curfew as authorities tried to stop sectarian violence from spreading beyond Sunsari and Siraha districts. At least three people were killed and 25 were injured in the unrest, which prompted a restrictive security response across multiple towns in Madhesh province.

The violence began in Diwanganj in Sunsari district on Sunday, July 26, after a late-night clash between Hindus and Muslims. Other coverage linked the spark to a dispute during a religious procession involving loud music and religious flags, a pattern that quickly turned a local confrontation into wider communal unrest. By the time curfews were in place, police were trying to separate groups, block movement and prevent retaliation.

The disorder then spread into neighboring Siraha district, where authorities imposed or extended indefinite curfews. A Reuters photograph taken on July 30 showed smoke and fire rising from a mall in Siraha after it was vandalized, underscoring the scale of the damage. Reports from the region also described burning tyres, road blockages, damaged buildings and vehicles, along with police intervention as the violence moved across town lines rather than remaining confined to one neighborhood.

Police headquarters instructed security forces to use crowd-control measures such as tear gas and baton charges while keeping dialogue open with community leaders. Prime Minister Balendra Shah appealed for calm and promised a transparent investigation. The response reflected both the urgency of the security challenge and the limits of ordinary policing when communal tensions are already inflamed.

The curfew also exposed the pressure on local authorities in a country that has repeatedly had to manage fragile political and social balances across diverse communities. A harmony rally was organized in Nepal’s southern plains on July 31, with participants calling for peace after the clashes. The immediate concern remains whether the emergency measures can contain the unrest in Sunsari, Siraha and nearby towns, or whether the violence will deepen mistrust and widen into a broader stability problem for Madhesh province and the state.