33 young hikers lost in Knuckles range under fog and heavy rain rescued

Police have rescued 33 youth lost in the Knuckles Mountain range, the police media spokesman announced yesterday.

The youth were on a hike and had got lost due to heavy rain and fog, he said.

After the police were informed of their disappearance, a team of police, forest conservation and army officers initiated a rescue operation on Sunday evening.

The youth are residents of several parts of the country and are members of a hiking team.

Knuckles mountain range has 34 peaks ranging in height between 1,900 metres and 900 metres and is a popular destination for hikers.

Each year, several groups of hikers get lost due to adverse weather conditions. They were lost in an area of 155 square km comprising the Knuckles range, the police media said. (RK)