COLOMBO, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan police on Monday launched search operations in the Knuckles mountain range in the central hills of the island country to locate seven trekkers who were reported missing since Sunday.
The police said one of those missing had contacted his relatives on Sunday evening and informed them that the group had lost their way inside the Knuckles forest.
The seven missing are residents of Homagama in the outskirts of Colombo.
Police said the trekkers had entered the Knuckles range last Friday.
The Knuckles mountain range, a world heritage conservation area, is one of Sri Lanka's major nature attractions.
The reserve attracts hundreds of local and foreign tourists per year for trekking and witnessing its natural waterfalls.
The Knuckles range consists of rugged mountain peaks interspersed with streams and cascading waterfalls and covers an area of 18,512 hectares.
