SAR mission team fly to Iran to find a missing climber

Four climbers from the Alpine Club Malaysia (KJA) left for Tehran on Sunday, to continue the search and rescue (SAR) mission to find Ramli Abdul Majid,45, who went missing on Mount Damavand, Iran on Nov 20.

The mission team leader Mohd Khafiz Bachok said it was the third SAR to search for Ramli.

"The first SAR was after he was reported missing in November and the second one was in December last year," he said when met by reporters at KL International Airport 2 (klia2).

Mohd Khafiz said the third SAR that was being held at this time was because Tehran was currently experiencing summer and snow covering the Mount Damavand was expected to melt, therefore it would facilitate the mission.

He added, the SAR team hoped for prayers from Malaysians for them to find Ramli in whatever condition.

Mohd Khafiz said the SAR mission team would search for Ramli using the route taken by him before he went missing last November.

The SAR mission which also joined by the Iran Red Crescent Society would also search for Ramli at villages near the mountain.

The other three climbers who joined the SAR mission were Muhammad Illaham Ishak who is KJA president, Azmawi Ismail and Mohd Azraie Md Yusof.

Last Nov 22, Ramli, a chief system engineer at Proton Holdings headquarters, Shah Alam and Syed Redzuan Syed Salim Shatri were reported missing on the 5,610-metre mountain after they were separated from the other climbers.

A SAR operation found the body of Syed Redzuan, on Nov 28, in the Yakhar Glazier area and his body was brought back to Malaysia and buried on Dec 5.

However, the fate of Ramli is still unknown until now.

The 5,610-metre Mount Damavand is located in the middle of Alborz mountain range, about 75 kilometres from Tehran.

-- BERNAMA