BAU (Sarawak): Thirty-three climbers are feared to have gone missing since Saturday during an expedition up Mount Brik in Kampung Tringus, about 30km from Bau town.

A report was lodged by an individual identified as Royling Ken at the Bau district police headquarters here at 8.30am today after the climbers failed to return yesterday as scheduled.

It takes six hours to climb the mountain to the location where the climbers are believed to have gone missing.

A state fire and rescue department spokesman said the expedition was organised by a club on Saturday and the participants were scheduled to return yesterday.

The spokesman added that his department was notified of the missing climbers at 7.10am today, following which a team of firefighters from the Bau fire and rescue station headed by senior fire officer Kadri Bogol was mobilised to conduct a search-and-rescue operation.

A special tactical operations response management team and a multi-skill team are expected to join the firefighters, who began moving to the location this afternoon, the spokesman said, adding that the police, People’s Volunteer Corps and villagers would also join in the search.