RAUTAHAT: Security personnel in a search operation found body of a youth who had gone missing in a forest in Chandrapur Municipality-6 of Rautahat district.

The Nepal Police and Armed Police Force personnel found the body partly devoured by a wild animal in Tildhare forest, four kilometres south of Lamha forest, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Hem Bahadur Shahi at the Chandrapur-based Area Police Office (APO).

The deceased has been identified as Sangam Bhandari (27) of Chandrapur-6.

Bhandari had gone to collect foliage and grass in nearby Rangapur Partnership Forest Area under national forest on Tuesday. When he did not return until late in the afternoon, a group of villagers went to the forest in search of Bhandari when suddenly, a tiger attacked them at around 7:00 pm yesterday, according to the APO.

The search was halted following the attack as two of the searchers were injured. The injured have been identified as Ashok Thapa (30) and Pravin Shrestha (34) of Chandrapur-6.

Thapa was injured in his hand while Shrestha in the ear. They were rushed to Chandrapur Hospital, DSP Shahi informed.

The tiger that attacked the searchers partly devoured the body of Bhandari, DSP Shahi informed. He said the security personnel with the help of locals separated the man-eating tiger from its victim.

The security personnel stalked the big cat that had been dragging the victim by the leg and continuously devouring the body.