Regent's entourage lost in forest

PADANG, West Sumatra: Rescue workers have found the entourage of some 100 people of Solok Regent Gamawan Fauzi in the forested areas along Batang Anai River, after they went missing on Wednesday.

The search and rescue team reportedly first made contact with Gamawan through a police radio at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, and instructed the regent to follow the river, which would lead them to the Asam Pulau Lubuk area. A number of rescue workers followed the stream from the opposite direction and met Gamawan's group halfway through the jungle.

One of the rescue workers, Imron Khairi, said the group were exhausted and hungry but were all in fine condition.

The regent, along with eight district chiefs and about 100 others, including six women, set out on foot to follow the route that independence fighters once took.

The event, arranged to commemorate Aug. 17 Independence Day, brought the group from the western coast of Singkarak Lake in Solok, through the mountainous areas of Bukit Barisan, and finally to reach Lubuk Minturun in Padang. The route covers about 60 kilometers.

They were scheduled to spend the night in the forest, and reach the final destination on Thursday evening.

It was later discovered the entourage had been separated into two. The other group, consisting of 12 people, was still missing.

Search efforts were to continue on Saturday. (28/06)