No signs of 2 missing hikers found: Turkish governor

BURSA, Turkey

Rescue teams have found no signs of two missing hikers since the search and rescue operations started on Monday in western Turkey, according to local authorities.

On Dec. 1, the hikers -- Mert Alpaslan and Efe Sarp -- went missing in the evening due to heavy fog near Turkey’s famous Mt. Uludag peak in western Bursa province.

“Search continues with nearly 260 rescuers, both from official and civilian rescue teams. We have found no signs or evidence so far,” said Yakup Canbolat, governor of Bursa province.

''Search and rescue teams have been working on a 24-hour basis,'' said Canbolat, adding that portable GSM base stations were deployed in the region to conduct technical surveillance.

According to him, the search and rescue operations were interrupted several times due to adverse weather conditions and rescue workers will continue the search when the weather gets better.

Mert Alpaslan and Efe Sarp went missing on Sunday evening due to heavy fog and the families of the hikers contacted the gendarmerie when they could not contact their sons.

* Writing by Havva Kara Aydin