Three bodies, believed to be among six people reported missing from Jiribam district, were found near the confluence of the Jiri and Barak rivers along the Manipur-Assam border, officials said Saturday.
The remains, including those of a woman and two children, were recovered Friday night about 16 kilometers from Borobekra in Jiribam district, where the group was last seen Monday, officials told PTI.
While the bodies are yet to be formally identified, authorities suspect they may belong to the missing individuals. The remains were transported to Silchar Medical College Hospital (SMCH) in Assam and placed in the morgue for postmortem examinations.
Earlier, six members of a family, including three women and three children, one of whom is a baby, went missing from Borobekra in Jiribam following violence in the region. All six are from the Meitei community and had been staying at a relief camp established at the Borobekra police station after the unrest in June.
An official said the identification process is ongoing, with photographs collected for confirmation. The autopsies are being conducted in Assam due to inadequate facilities in Jiribam.
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh convened a meeting with senior ministers Friday night to address the situation following the discovery.
Tensions escalated in the Imphal Valley as news of the bodies spread, prompting authorities to declare a holiday for schools and colleges across all five districts on Saturday.
(With PTI Inputs)