Indian tourist missing while hiking in Cameron Highlands

A 44-year-old Indian tourist has been reported missing since Sept 22, believed to have gone hiking at Gunung Jasar in Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands.

Cameron Highlands district police chief Azri Ramli said the man, Nandan Suresh Nadkarni, had checked in to Hikers Sleep Port Guest House, Tanah Rata, on Sept 19, and should have checked out on Sept 24.

“On Sept 25, the police received a police report, lodged by the hotel manager, stating that the man had been missing since Sept 22.

“The results of the inspection on the hotel's closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera found that the victim had left the hotel on Sept 22 at 9am and did not return to the hotel as of Sept 24.

“The results of the preliminary police investigation found that on Sept 22, the victim left the hotel alone to do hiking activities on trail 10 of Gunung Jasar, Tanah Rata, based on some CCTV footage obtained around the Tanah Rata area,” he said.

He said police had established a control post on the scene and activated a search and rescue (SAR) operation, with the participation of various agencies such as the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department, the Malaysian Civil Defence Force and various NGOs.

Azri also advised the public against making any speculation regarding the incident, and if they have any information, they can contact the motion control room (DCC) at 05-491 5999 or any nearby police station.

The public is also advised against sharing unauthentic information, he said.

Meanwhile, Pahang Fire and Rescue Department Public Relations officer, Zulfadli Zakaria, said that the SAR resumed at 8am today, involving various agencies including mountain rangers and tracking dogs.

“Based on information received at 3pm yesterday from Maxis roaming, the last signal was detected through the Habu Height substation at 1.04pm on Sept 22.

“SAR members are also monitoring the waterfall area around the Sungai Ubi, using drones,” he said.

- Bernama