Five people out in search of 'Himalayan Viagra' missing in Nepal avalanche

Five people out in search of Himalayan Viagra or the Yarsagumba are suspected to be buried in an avalanche in Darchula district of the far-west. “The missing people include 4 females and a male. The weather condition is also not good,” confirmed Deputy Chief District Officer Pradip Singh Dhami to ANI over the phone. An avalanche hit the Byans Village Council- 01, Bolin at around 3 pm (Local Time) on Tuesday, an official familiar with the matter said, adding that five people are confirmed to be missing with the search team at the spot carrying out the search and rescue operations. A caravan of people climbs higher up the snow-capped mountains for weeks during the annual Yarsagumba harvesting season. This year the harvest is about to start in the Himalayas of Nepal which is later sold at a higher price. Scientists have found that a spindly fungus sprouts from the dead caterpillar host’s head. Two to six centimetres long, the fungus shoots above the soil, acting as a tiny, finger-shaped flag for harvesters to find. It is found at altitudes between 3000 and 5000 meters in Nepal, India and Bhutan. Yarsagumba also is known as the Himalayan Viagra which is found only in the Tibetan Plateau. As many as 80 teams from the Armed Police Force along with the Nepal Police have been deployed to the site, said Pradip Singh Dhami, the Deputy Chief District Officer of Darchula. One of the mountainous districts of Far-West Nepal bordering the Uttarakhand of India from the West and Tibet from the North, Darchula is situated at an altitude ranging from 518 to 7132 meters from the sea level. With inputs from agencies. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.