A 40-year-old man was killed in a tiger attack in Banke district on Friday morning.

The deceased has been identified as Indra Bahadur Khatri of Guruwagaun Namuna Tol in ward 9 of Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality. According to police, Khatri had gone to collect grass in the Rimna Community Forest when the incident occurred.

After he did not return home, locals launched a search operation and later found his body in a severely mauled state.

Birendra Bahadur Kandel, chief conservation officer of the Banke National Park, said efforts are under way to identify the tiger involved in the attack.

Repeated incidents of tiger attacks have left residents living near the national park fearful for their safety.