Tourists visit the Mihintale mountain peak near Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka on Feb 11, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP)

COLOMBO - Sri Lanka's police rescued 33 youths who were on a hike but lost at the 155-square-kilometer Knuckles mountain range due to heavy rain and fog, police said on Monday.

After police were informed of their disappearance, a team of police officers, forest conservation officers and army officers initiated a rescue operation on Sunday evening.

The hikers are all members of a hiking team.

The Knuckles mountain range, located in central Sri Lanka, has 34 peaks ranging in height between 1,900 meters and 900 meters and is a popular destination for hikers.

READ MORE: Sri Lanka: Ex-president ordered to pay Easter attack victims

Each year, groups of hikers get lost due to adverse weather conditions.