GEORGE TOWN, Dec 25 — The Penang Fire and Rescue Department have started search-and-rescue efforts to look for nine people are believed to be lost on Bukit Bendera after they went hiking there today.

A spokesman for the department said it received an emergency call from one of the nine persons at 7.27pm, saying they were lost in the Bukit Bendera area.

"Two vehicles from the Bagan Jermal and Paya Terubong Fire Stations were sent to the foot of Bukit Bendera for the search and rescue mission.

"The department have been able to contact the victim who made the emergency call by telephone and informed them that they were probably in the area of Wand Gate 7 of Bukit Bendera,” he said here tonight.

He added that there is not much information about the victims, only that there are nine of them, and the search-and-rescue efforts are being jointly conducted with the Bukit Bendera Emergency Response Team. — Bernama