BETTIAH, July 19 -- As the major rivers flowing through West Champaran receded, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) on Saturday recovered the bodies of two of the three people who had drowned in separate incidents in the swollen Pandai River. Meanwhile, in neighbouring East Champaran, parts of the Sugauli and Banjariya blocks remained inundated, while embankments continued to remain under threat.

Confirming the recovery, Narkatiaganj Circle Officer (CO) Shaman Prakash said the bodies of Priyanka Kumari (12), a resident of Dhumnagar, and Sultan Sahil, son of Mojamill Diwan and a resident of Sofwa village in Narkatiaganj subdivision of West Champaran, had been recovered.

"The search for the third missing person, Rehan Ansari, who was...