MAKWANPUR: Twenty-six foreign inmates who escaped from the Bhimphedi Regional Prison in Makwanpur are still on the run, prison authorities said.

According to Prison Chief Subas Paudel, a total of 39 foreign prisoners had escaped by breaking down the prison wall around 1 a.m. on September 9.

Thirteen of them have since returned, while 26 remain missing.

Overall, out of the 440 inmates, including the escaped foreigners, 286 have returned so far, while 154 are still at large.

Paudel said that 71 inmates who had escaped from other prisons have also been sent back to Bhimphedi Prison.

Among them, 35 were transferred to other facilities, one was released, and 35 are currently held in the prison.

The mass jailbreak occurred after inmates broke through three gates and demolished the western wall of the facility, allowing 260 prisoners from Block ‘A’ and 180 from another section to flee.

Security forces have since intensified the search operation, capturing several escapees from different locations and returning them to custody, Paudel added.

District Police Office Makwanpur spokesperson, DSP Pushkar Bogati, confirmed that a large-scale manhunt is still underway to locate the remaining fugitives.