MUKAH: A search and rescue (SAR) operation was launched for an elderly man reported missing in a jungle in front of the Shell petrol station at Jalan Mukah-Balingian, here on Sunday (Jan 1).
A spokesman for the state Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) said they received an emergency call on the incident around 9.53pm and despatched firefighters from the Mukah station led by Abu Hady to the scene.
Upon arrival, the team and villagers promptly initiated a 2-km radius from the area he was last seen.
The man has been identified as Shahminan Mokhtar. He was last spotted wearing a dark blue shirt and may be suffering from anxiety.
According to his family, the 81-year-old went out alone in the morning to look for fruits in the jungle before they noticed that he did not return home.
A missing person report was made in the evening.
At press time, the search is still ongoing.
