Joint Meeting To Track Down Malaysian Climber In Tehran

KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 (Bernama) -- Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), the Malaysian Embassy in Tehran and the Alpine Club Malaysia (KJA) held a coordination meeting to search and rescue (SAR) Malaysian climber Ramli Abdul Majid, who was reported missing on Mount Damavand in November. The meeting, which was held at the IRCS office in Tehran yesterday, was attended by Malaysian Ambassador to Iran, Rustam Yahaya while the KJA was represented by Mohd Khafiz Bachok, 39, Muhammad Illaham Ishak, 40, Azmawi Ismail, 39, and Mohd. Azraie Md. Yusof, 34. KJA said, in a statement, Tuesday that during the meeting, the head of the IRCS Emergency Operations Centre, Hossein Derakhsan informed that the SAR operations for Ramli had been re-activated since early this month until the end of August. “The SAR operations on Mount Damavand was previously stopped following extreme weather which made the search efforts difficulty. “The operations which was re-activated recently focuses on the eastern part of the mountain, in the Yakhar Glacier area, the location where another climber, the late Syed Redzuan Syed Salim Shatri was found six days after he was reported missing along with Ramli," said the statement. Saying that there was a strong possibility that Ramli had fallen at the same location, Hoessin added that the IRCS would continue the SAR operations until August because by that time the snow in most of the mountainous areas would melt. Meanwhile, Rustam said the embassy would wait for the SAR operations to be completed before meeting with the Iranian Foreign Ministry to get a confirmation of Ramli’s status if he was still not found. He said the ministry understood the dilemma faced by Ramli’s family and, at the same time, had to give time to the IRCS to conduct the search. Head of the KJA SAR mission, Mohd Khafiz said from today, members of the club would survey the mountain as part of the initiative to track down Ramli. He said the IRCS had been informed of the mission and the group was aware of the safety measures which should be taken. On Nov 22, Ramli who was the head system engineer at the Proton Holdings Headquarters in Shah Alam and another KJA climber went missing when they did not arrive at Camp Three of the mountain. On Nov 28, Syed Redzuan was found dead in the Yakhar Glacier area and his body has been brought back to Malaysia. Ramli’s fate is still unknown. Mount Damavand is 5,610 metres high and located in the middle of the Alborz mountains, about 75 km from Tehran. -- BERNAMA