Beijing continues search for missing hiker

Police and rescuers continued looking on Sunday for 60-year-old hiker missing in the mountains of Beijing.

The daytime search ended at 5 pm on Sunday and the man had not been found, said Yang Yang, head of the Hongjian Rescue Team, a non-government volunteer unit.

He said rescuers would continue searching on Sunday night.

More than 100 police officers, firefighters, volunteers and residents of nearby villages in Mentougou district searched for the man on Sunday, Beijing Evening News reported.

The missing man, identified as Dong, is from Taiwan and lives in Haidian district. He drove to Wangping township, Mentougou, at about 7 am on Thursday to climb mountains in the area, according to reports.

Dong's family reported him missing when they were unable to contact him. The rescue team began the search on Thursday night.

"On Thursday at noon, it began to rain, which washed away the man's scent and footprints," Yang said.

Rescuers did not know which trail the man took, he said, which has made it difficult to find him.

The Hongjian Rescue Team sent 20 searchers to the site and more than 50 people from Hongjian had been organized for the task, he said.

The rescuers focused their search on the cliffs near Qingshuijian Mountain on Sunday, Yang said.

On Saturday morning, two police helicopters were sent to Mentougou to join the search, Beijing's public security bureau said.

Two emergency medical workers were on site in the rescue headquarters.

Dong's family said he likes climbing mountains alone. His son said Dong usually calls him when he finishes a hike, but this time he did not receive the call, Mirror Evening News reported.

Rescuers found Dong's car but it provided no clues, the report said.