IPOH (Bernama): The stench detected at the Bukit Kinta Forest Reserve near Gopeng is not of human remains, says the Perak Fire and Rescue Department.

Its assistant director Mohamad Yunus Abu said they were informed about the foul smell as well as the presence of flies in the area by the orang asli community on Saturday (April 6)

He said 10 firemen and three policemen had ascended to the area located 400m above sea-level on Sunday (April 7) and Monday (April 8) to investigate the matter.

"We have gone to the area, but so far, it's negative (of human remains), it could possibly be a dead animal because we found fur and flies, there were no bones or skin which could be linked to a human being," he said when contacted by Bernama.

He was commenting on a viral message which linked the stench to the disappearance of Mohammad Ashraf Hassan, 29, who went missing while taking part in the 2019 Gopeng Ultra Trail on March 29. - Bernama