By DayakDaily Team
SARIKEI, Aug 30: A 78-year-old man with hearing and vision impairments remains missing after he went to an oil palm farm along Jalan Sungai Tapang, Jalan Bayong here yesterday morning.
Identified as Chali anak Mat, he reportedly left home at about 8.15am yesterday (Aug 29), wearing a grey long-sleeved shirt and long trousers and carrying a machete.
His family searched for him after he failed to return home but could not locate him before lodging a police report.
According to the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), the Sarikei Fire and Rescue Station (BBP Sarikei) received the missing-person report at 10.46am today and arrived at the location at 11.06am.
The search operation involved six firefighters, five police personnel, 22 villagers and six members of PBS Lubok Lemba.
Searchers were divided into three teams to cover the oil palm farm and surrounding forest within a 2km to 4km radius of the command post using fan-searching and hasty-search methods.
However, Chali had not been found when the operation was suspended at 5pm today.
The search is scheduled to resume at 8am tomorrow.
The operation was led by PBK II Ahmad Tamizi Abdul Karim, with one Light Fire and Rescue Tender (LFRT) and one Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) vehicle deployed. — DayakDaily
