KATHMANDU: Four persons went missing in the Seti River while they were returning from high hills of Bajhang district after picking yarsagumba.

The Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) reported that they were returning from Syanban and Challaban of Kanda VDC after collecting the prized medicinal herb, also considered as Himalayan Viagra.

The state-owned Nepal Television said they fell into the river while trying to construct a makeshift bridge over the Seti River.

Yarsagumba is a fruiting body that is formed by the fusion of parasitic fungus Cordyceps sinensis and the host moth larvae.

According to DSP Laxmiraj Dhakal at Bajhang District Police Office, the four are missing since Sunday afternoon.

The missing are identified as Mahesh Singh (25), Sunte Shahi (40), Suwan Singh(28) and Dambar Bahadur Singh (40)of Kailash VDC of the district.

Meanwhile, the DPO deployed a police team under the command of SI Narayan Bahadur Chand to search the missing.

It takes around four days to reach the incident site from the district headquarters, Chainpur, on foot.

“We are unable to take a helicopter there due to rainfall,” Adhikari told RSS, “Further information will be updated once the police team reaches there.”