Four days overdue, rescuers mount land, air and water search for six hikers in Kelantan mountains

Gerik, September 7 — Rescue teams are mobilizing via water, land, and air for a search and rescue operation in search of six individuals who have gone missing while hiking in Gunung Trans Gerah, Lojing, Kelantan. Perak Fire and Rescue Department director Datuk Sayani Saidon announced that the department learned about the missing mountain guides and family members on Wednesday afternoon, leading to discussions with the JBPM headquarters' operations division to establish the search strategy.

Three boats from Gerik's Trojan Jetty will transport SAR personnel and mountain guides by water to Pos Kemar, while four-wheel-drive vehicles carrying 12 Forestry mountain guides will travel from Sungai Siput, taking approximately four hours. All teams will converge at Pos Kemar, designated as the Forward Control Post. The JBPM air unit from Bertam Air Base will conduct an aerial survey beginning at the last known location of the missing individuals on September 1, aiming to gather an initial overview of the search area and potential routes for ground teams.

The JBPM canine unit, which arrived this morning, remains on standby pending finalization of the operation plan. Representatives from the Royal Malaysia Police, Forestry Department, Department of Wildlife and National Parks, General Operations Force, JBPM, and Forestry mountain guides are participating in a multi-agency coordination meeting at the Gerik District Police Headquarters to finalize the SAR plan and ground deployment.

The six hikers began their trek on August 29, and their families informed authorities on September 3 after they failed to return as scheduled.