By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Jan 22: A 75-year-old Iban woman is feared missing after she reportedly left her longhouse at Tr Alow, Kampung Bua, Engkelili here in the early hours of Wednesday (Jan 21).
The woman, identified as Melaya Brayun, was last seen at around 1am near the house of a villager named Usang but did not return, prompting concern among family members and residents.
According to a report from the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), a distress call was received at 8.35pm on the same day after efforts by family members and longhouse residents to search the surrounding area proved unsuccessful.
A team from BBP Sri Aman, led by Operations Commander PBK I Mohd Fadhli Buyong, was dispatched to the scene and arrived at 9.08pm, some 33 kilometres away.
Initial operations involved gathering information at the Engkilili Police Station before proceeding to the longhouse to obtain further details from the victim’s family.
However, full-scale search and rescue (SAR) operations were postponed due to poor forest coverage conditions and limited visibility.
Bomba said comprehensive SAR efforts would resume today at 8.30am.
Melaya was last seen wearing a green shirt with white floral patterns and black short pants.
The operation involved three Bomba personnel using one Urvan van, with assistance from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and the Civil Defence Force (APM) Lubok Antu.
As of the latest update, the victim has yet to be found. — DayakDaily
