19 stranded on Gunung Gagau rescued, six still missing

Nineteen people were rescued from the foot of Gunung Gagau near Tasik Kenyir on Wednesday while six others are still missing. They were 15 Survey and Mapping Department (JUPEM) employees and four General Operations Force (PGA) members. Terengganu Fire and Rescue Department deputy director Nor Mahathir Muhamad said the missing group was believed to have split from the other group. "The six people still missing is believed to have used a different route to reach Tasik Kenyir. "I believe that they are not far from the place where the 19 people were found at 3.45pm today," he told Bernama here on Wednesday. All the 19 people rescued were in good health and brought to Hulu Terengganu Hospital for further treatment. The two groups, from JUPEM and PGA entered the mountainous area on Dec 5 to survery the Terengganu-Kelantan border and completed their work on Dec 14. Nor Mahathir said the rescue operation was postponed to tomorrow due to the bad weather, slippery path and heavy water flow upstream of Tasik Kenyir. On Monday, 26 people consisting of 22 JUPEM employees and four PGA members were rescued after they were stranded on Gunung Gagau for four days.