Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in Bajhang Laxmiraj Adhikari said Mahesh Singh, 25, Sunte Shahi, 40, Suwan Singh, 28, and Dambar Singh, 40, of Kailash VDC went missing after they fell into the fast-flowing river. The men had been returning home after collecting Yarchagumba (Cordyceps synensis), a high-altitude wild fungus that is prized for its aphrodisiac qualities, at Kanda VDC in the district.

According to Regional Administration Office in Dipayal, police were informed about the incident only on Monday as the incident site is about four days walk from Chainpur, the district headquarters of Bajhang.

DSP Adhikari said a police team from the border police post in Dhuli has been sent to the area to investigate the disappearance of the four men. “We will get full details about the incident only after the security personnel reach the site by Monday evening,” he added. Local people said scores of Yarchagumba pickers die each year due to the lack of formidable bridges in the area.

A large number of people, including women and children, in the district move to the highlands during the season (mid-April to mid-July ) to collect the herbal aphrodisiac every year.

In recent years, however, the yield has been severely depleted by over-picking and the probable effects of climate change, experts have warned, prompting fears about the future of the “Himalayan Viagra” harvest.