ALOR SETAR: A search team has rescued seven hikers yesterday after they were stranded for 17 hours in Kepala Angin area on Mount Jerai.
The climbers, comprising four men and three women, aged between 20 and 26, had begun their climbing from the Lembah Bujang Archeology Museum, Merbok at 10 am on Sunday.
Kedah Fire and Rescue Department Operation head, Mustaffa Kamal Ahmad said they had rested at Kepala Angin area when a woman climber suffered from cramps on her legs and could not proceed with the climb.
After five hours, he said, two male climbers had descended the mountain to a main road in Telaga Tok Sheikh area to get some help from a nearby hotel.
Mustaffa said upon receiving the distress call at 11.15 pm Sunday night, eight firemen of Sungai Petani Fire station with the assistance of five policemen and a forest guide, were dispatched to the scene.
“The rescue team searched the area for one km before finding the climbers at at 3 am, yesterday and brought them down,” he said.
All the climbers were brought to Yan hospital for treatment and the rescue operation closed at
3.53 am. — Bernama