KATHMANDU: At least six people, including two women, have gone missing in Nepal while picking up a precious Himalayan herb meant for vitality, as avalanches struck two remote mountainous regions of the country, police said on Wednesday.
Yarshagumba is a half herb and half insect, believed to have the power to increase vitality and sexual energy.
The herb, also known as caterpillar fungus, is found in the high Himalayas.
An avalanche occurred on Tuesday in the mountainous area of the Darchula district, burying 12 people who had set up tents to collect the herb.
Out of those buried, seven were rescued alive with the help of security personnel and local people.
However, four men and one woman could not be located till Wednesday afternoon, according to the police.
A team of 25 security personnel was headed to the incident site, The Himalayan Times newspaper quoted Deputy Superintendent of Police Deputy Iswori Dutta Bhatta as saying.
"It takes an hour for us to reach there. Then only we will know the ground realities", DSP Bhatta, who was on the way to the avalanche site, said.
In a separate incident, a 32-year-old woman went missing in the Bajhang district after an avalanche swept her while she was picking up Yarshagumba, police said.
An additional team of police was dispatched to the area to conduct the search and rescue operation.
Yarshagumba costs at least Rs 50,000 per kg in the Nepalese market and has high demand in the international market.