Mahendranagar : Fourteen women who were reported missing after entering Shuklaphanta National Park in Kanchanpur to collect wild mushrooms have been found safe and are now in contact with their families.

The women, from Bagphanta in Bheemdutta Municipality-19, had reportedly gone missing since Sunday evening after entering the protected area. Following the reports, the Nepali Army launched a search and rescue operation.

According to Prakash Ghimire, Battalion Chief of the Ranasingh Battalion deployed for the park’s security, the women have safely re-established contact with their families.

“We mobilized all available resources for a comprehensive search operation. A short while ago, we received information that they had contacted their families. All of them are reported to be safe,” Ghimire said.

Earlier, a separate group of three women from Beldadi Rural Municipality-2, who had also entered the park without official permission to collect wild mushrooms and were reported missing since Sunday evening, were rescued safely by a security team led by Captain Suman GC.

The search operation involved personnel from the Nepali Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, city police, and the Shuklaphanta National Park administration.

Published Time: 17:57 PM