Search continues for missing 77-year-old man in Marudi

MARUDI : A search and rescue operation has entered its second day for a 77-year-old man who went missing near an oil palm plantation at Rumah Melikat here.

Selading Suai was last seen on Thursday morning after accompanying his grandson to a newly established oil palm plantation and has yet to be found.

According to the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), Selading arrived at the plantation with his grandson at about 7 am and was asked to wait at a hut near the main road.

When his grandson returned at about 11 am, Selading was no longer at the hut.

“According to a witness who was operating a bulldozer, the victim was seen walking alone along a small path leading towards the plantation,” Bomba said in a statement.

The department said an initial search involving about 40 villagers failed to locate him.

The Marudi Fire and Rescue Station received the emergency call at 2.50 pm on Thursday and arrived at the scene at 3.20 pm, about 23km from the station.

“The SAR operation is being carried out by the Marudi Fire and Rescue Station with four personnel and a Compact Fire Rescue Tender (CFRT), assisted by three police personnel,” it said.

Selading was last seen wearing a blue shirt bearing a Barisan Nasional (BN) logo, black shorts, a white hat and white rubber boots.

The search continued on Friday (Oct 16), with his whereabouts still unknown at the time of reporting.