MORE than 36 hours have passed since 19-month-old Hud Aryan Mohd Nor Hafifi was reported missing from his home in Kampung Air Kuala Tiga, in Tanah Merah, Kelantan, yet there has been no trace of the toddler's whereabouts.
Authorities are continuing their search efforts as part of a coordinated search and rescue (SAR) operation.
Berita Harian reported, the operation, which resumed at 9am today, will see the involvement of two trained search dogs from the K9 Unit to aid in the ongoing search.
Mohd Zulkifli Osman, the Head of the Tanah Merah Fire and Rescue Station, stated that although the search had concluded at 7pm yesterday, no significant leads had been found, including footprints or any traces of the child's clothing.
"We ended the operation at 7pm last night, but there are still no positive signs, such as footprints or any pieces of clothing belonging to the child," Zulkifli said.
"Today, we will expand the operation and bring in two trained search dogs that arrived here at 6:30 pm yesterday. We had initially planned to use the dogs yesterday afternoon, but due to their late arrival, we will deploy them to the scene today."
Zulkifli explained that the number of personnel in the search operation had not increased, as local residents are also lending a hand in the effort.
"We hope that today's operation will go smoothly and that we will receive some positive clues," he added.
Hud Aryan was last seen at approximately 7:20pm the previous evening, when his family realised he was missing. The gate to the house had been left open, raising further concerns.
Azean Irdawati Ramley, Hud’s 44-year-old aunt, explained that prior to the disappearance, the toddler was inside the house, being fed by his mother. Later, his mother went into the kitchen to prepare more food for the child.
"Just after that, a relative arrived at the house and asked where Hud was. That was when we realised he was missing," Azean recounted.
"His mother noticed that the house gate was open, and the situation quickly escalated as we started searching the drain in front of the house and the surrounding jungle."
Azean explained that Hud had just recently learned to walk and was quite an active child, often enjoying playing with water. This led the family to believe that he may have headed towards the nearby drain.
"His mother lives in a different village but frequently visits her mother’s house in Kampung Air. We're extremely worried about Hud, especially his mother, because he is their only child, and the search continues to this day," Azean said.
The Tanah Merah Fire and Rescue Station received an emergency call about the missing child at 8:02 p.m. the previous evening. Following this, a search operation was immediately launched, focusing on the area around the home, including the nearby forest and the drain in front of the property.
"The search operation continued into the night, covering the area around the house, especially the drain in front of the family home and the surrounding forest," Zulkifli explained.
"The operation resumed this morning with the help of villagers, and we have also requested assistance from a K9 unit from the headquarters, which is currently en route to Kelantan."
The search for Hud Aryan remains ongoing as authorities and volunteers continue their efforts to locate the missing child. – February 26, 2025
