The body of Armed Police Force (APF) diver Suraj Saud, who went missing during a disaster preparedness drill in the Saptakoshi River in Saptari, has been recovered, officials confirmed on Sunday.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Shailendra Thapa, assistant spokesperson for the APF, Saud’s body was retrieved near sluice gate number 55 of the Koshi Barrage by a specialised diving team led by DSP Purushottam Bhandari from the Disaster Management Training School in Kurintar.

Saud, originally from Doti, was posted at the number 2 Chhinnamasta Brigade Headquarters.

He and fellow diver Hardev Rajbanshi—serving at the Dantakali Special Task Training School in Saptari—went missing after being caught in a whirlpool near sluice gates 55 and 56 during a province-level monsoon disaster preparedness exercise on Thursday.

Rajbanshi, a native of Jhapa, was found dead around three kilometres downstream from the incident site on Saturday.

Following the accident, the disaster drill was suspended indefinitely.