A youth has gone missing in the Bhada River at Rambag area in ward 5 of Gulariya Municipality after he was swept away while bathing on Wednesday evening.

The missing individual, identified as Srijan Pokharel from ward 5, disappeared while swimming with friends, said Armed Police Force Superintendent Man Bahadur Shahi.

A team of nine, including four professional divers from the Armed Police Force base in Banke, was deployed early Thursday to search for him.

Shahi said the search operation continued after efforts to locate him, which had been unsuccessful, until Wednesday evening. Others in the group were safely rescued.