With this incident, five people who had been to Patan area in eastern Karan belt in the district to collect the precious herb died of the same problem this season.

The other deceased are identified as Man Bahadur Baniya and Ramesh Buda of Mugu and Min Bahadur Tiruwa and Man Bahadur Bohara of Jumla.Police said hundreds others have fallen ill in the highlands.

“Yarcha pickers fall ill due to excessive cold and a lack of oxygen,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police Pushkar KC. Didke Malla, who went to the highland to collect the caterpillar fungus but returned without completing his mission in fear of falling ill said many people are also returning due to the same fear.

Health workers said consumption of leftover food and snow water without boiling it are the main reasons behind the illness. Local people, meanwhile, have been demanding that the authorities concerned manage health services in the highlands to for the Yarchagumba collectors. Ram Krishna Budhthapa, who is carrying out a study on medicinal herbs, said timely treatment could save the lives of many Yarchagumba collectors.

Chief Distarict Officer Balabhadra Giri said they have been informed of Yarcha pickers falling ill and that an initiation would be taken immediately to treat them.

Meanwhile, the body of Chhiring Phurwa Gurung who was injured in a clash with police at Dho VDC-7 in Dolpa on Tuesday night and found dead in the locality on Wednesday morning was handed over to his family without being examined, local people said. Local people accused police of beating Gurung up. Police, however, denied the accusation.