BAU: Police have appealed for help from the public to locate an Indonesian man who was reported to have gone missing in the Mount Tabai area.
Yoga Anggiska, 26, has been missing since Aug 13 following an alleged mining incident.
Bau police chief DSP Jawai Francis Kempas said anyone with information regarding the incident, should alert the investigating officer Sgt Colin Raape at 017-8171750 or the nearest police station.
“Investigations are ongoing to identify witnesses who can assist with the probe.
“We urge the public not to speculate on the incident, as this could disrupt public order and interfere with the investigation.
“Aside from that, please refrain from spreading inaccurate information on social media,” Jawai said in a statement.
He added that the missing person case came to light only after Bau police were informed by the Consulate of the Republic of Indonesia in Kuching on Aug 23.
Following this, a search and rescue (SAR) operation was launched in the area with support from the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), the Civil Defence Force (APM), and the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC).
Mount Tabai, which is part of the National Park area, is a restricted area and mining activities there are illegal.
In 2021, Bau police closed the place from public entry after a 25-year-old man died when he was crushed by a boulder in March. That was the third fatal accident reported in the area.
In 2011, a 19-year-old youth died while another 37-year-old man was seriously injured, after being hit by rocks when a narrow tunnel they had dug while searching for gold collapsed.
A year later, in 2012, a miner died in the cave due to the collapse of a tunnel, and his family allowed the remains of the man in his 30s, to be left buried under the rubble due to difficulties in removing the body safely by the rescue team.
