A person who went missing while participating in a ceremony to immerse the idol of Goddess Durga at the confluence of Tinau and Danab rivers in Kotahimai Rural Municipality of Rupandehi a few days back was found dead on Thursday.

Ajay Kumar Nau, 24, and Ajay Rajbhar, 18, died and one went missing in the river on Tuesday while attending the idol immersion ceremony during the Bada Dashain festival.

The third dead has been identified as Santa Kumar Rajbhar, 20, of Kotahimai-1, police said.

Locals said all three persons who went to immerse the idol had drowned simultaneously.

District Police Office Rupandehi’s police inspector Rajesh Basnet said the body was retrieved a few metres downstream from the incident site.