At least three persons were killed in police firing in Rangeli Bazaar and Dayaniya in Morang on Thursday—first deaths in the eastern Tarai district during the five-and-a-half-month-long Madhes agitation.

The deceased were identified as Draupadi Devi Chaudhary, 60, of Rangeli-4, Mahadev Rishidev of Bardanga-2 and Shivu Majhi of Dayaniya-9 of the district. Morang Chief District Officer of Toyam Raya confirmed the deaths.

Death toll in the ongoing Tarai protests has now reached 57, according to records of the Home Ministry.

At least nine persons, who have sustained bullet injuries, are receiving treatment in Koshi Zonal Hospital and Golden Hospital in Biratnagar and BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences in Dharan.  

Tension flared up in Rangeli, the old district headquarters of Morang, after Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM) activists attempted to disrupt a programme organised by Youth Association of Nepal (YAN), youth wing of the ruling CPN-UML.

Clashes ensued after police stopped the SLMM activists who were heading towards YAN’s programme venue.

UML General Secretary Ishwor Pokharel, Minister for Youth and Sport Satya Narayan Mandal and UML leaders Shankar Pokharel and Mahesh Basnet among others attended the programme.  

Police said they were forced to use force to avert any untoward incident, as the protesters wielding batons and home-made weapons marched towards YAN’s programme venue.

Police had to open fire into the air and lob tear gas canisters to disperse the crowd. Police said the protesters were wielding swords, spears, arrows, batons and other home-made weapons.

Among the deceased, Chaudhary was a Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal activist. She received bullet injuries near Kali Temple as she came out of the house for some work.

After clashes in Rangeli, the SLMM activists torched two buses ferrying UML supporters in Dayaniya. Security personnel used force after protesters torched the vehicles without letting the passengers get off.

According to Inspector Surendra Prakash Shrestha, SLMM activists had taken six UML activists under control, who were later rescued by security personnel.

Madhesi Morcha cadres also vandalised houses of two UML cadres in Rangeli on Wednesday night.

Tension erupted in Rangeli since Wednesday after the SLMM decided to disrupt YAN’s programme, which earlier organisers had said would be attended by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. The prime minister, however, did not attend the programme.