The Sarawak fire and rescue department operations centre said the body of 77-year-old Chong Nyuk Fan was discovered near his abandoned four-wheel drive vehicle.

The department said it received a report of Chong’s disappearance at 9.18pm yesterday.

“Firefighters and police were immediately dispatched to the scene and arrived at 9.44pm.

“A search operation was conducted within a 50m radius of the victim’s vehicle, and within 20 minutes the victim was found in a patch of tall grass by the roadside in a decomposed state,” it said in a statement.

Based on a police report lodged by the victim’s family yesterday, Chong left his home in the Senadin area on Sept 14 in his four-wheel drive vehicle without informing anyone.

“A GPS check showed that the vehicle travelled from Miri to Belaga on Sept 14 before heading to the Batu Niah junction, which was the last recorded location, on Sept 17.

“The vehicle was found abandoned by the roadside, but the victim was not inside,” it said.

Family members had earlier searched the area with no success, prompting them to lodge a police report for assistance in locating the elderly man.