A 60-year-old female hiker surnamed Peng went missing last month on the 27th after reportedly falling off a cliff near the main peak of Qilai Mountain. After days of search efforts, rescuers have found scattered items such as a backpack and scarf down a 300-meter slope from the last known location, but Peng has yet to be found. Authorities believe she may have rolled down the slope and gone missing. To speed up the search, the Hualien County Fire Bureau is coordinating with the military to deploy additional personnel.
The on-site commander, Li Longsheng, head of the First Brigade of the Hualien County Fire Bureau, noted that visibility in the mountainous area has been poor over the past two days due to thick cloud cover obscuring the Qilai peaks, preventing helicopters from joining the rescue operation. As a result, search efforts have had to rely solely on foot patrols. However, temperatures in the Qilai Mountain area have dropped below zero, with snow and ice covering the paths, making them extremely slippery. Light rain has also fallen intermittently. Rescuers must use ice axes to secure themselves in rock crevices as they move forward slowly, which places a significant strain on their physical endurance. The route also involves traversing several sections of loose scree slopes, presenting constant danger.
Currently, the Hualien County Fire Bureau has mobilized over 40 personnel, including staff from the Nantou County Fire Bureau, the Red Cross Society, patrol rangers from Taroko National Park, and officers from the Mountain Police Division, to assist in the search. Li Longsheng said that although backpacks and other dropped items have been found near the missing woman’s last known location, heavy fog in the mountains on the afternoon of the 1st hindered rescue progress. To expedite the rescue, he hopes that special forces currently undergoing snow training at Hehuanshan can also join the effort.
(China Times)