PUTRAJAYA — Two of the 57 Malaysians previously reported as untraceable following flash floods and landslides in Nepal have been located, while 55 others remain unreachable as of 2.22pm today.
Foreign Ministry Deputy Secretary-General (Bilateral Affairs) Datuk Syed Mohamad Hasrin Tengku Hussin said the two Malaysians had been successfully located, but their information and details were still undergoing cross-checking and further verification.
“Out of the 57, two have been reported safe so far,” he told Bernama here today.
He said the cross-checking process was important to confirm the identity, location and actual status of both individuals, and to avoid duplication of information in the list of Malaysians who remained unreachable.
Syed Mohamad Hasrin said the figure of 55 was still subject to further verification based on information received from Nepalese authorities and relevant agencies.
He said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan had instructed the ministry to continue monitoring the operations closely and step up efforts to locate the remaining Malaysians.
Following the directive, he said an official from the Malaysian High Commission in Dhaka had been dispatched to Kathmandu to help bolster the operations of the Malaysian Embassy in Nepal.
“The official is assisting in coordinating information, monitoring developments and liaising with the relevant Nepalese authorities,” he said.
According to Syed Mohamad Hasrin, the Malaysian Embassy in Kathmandu was also collaborating with Nepalese authorities, the Nepalese Foreign Ministry’s emergency response team, the Nepal Tourism Board, relevant agencies and tour operators to obtain and verify information regarding the untraceable Malaysians.
Nepalese authorities reported that 528 individuals had been rescued so far, comprising 490 Nepalese and 38 foreigners. Based on the latest information received, no Malaysians have been identified among those rescued.
The flash floods and landslides in the Rasua district occurred following the overflow of the Bote Koshi River on August 26, causing severe damage to infrastructure, including roads and bridges, as well as disrupting electricity supply and communication networks.
“This situation has made access to the affected areas difficult, thus hampering search and rescue efforts and the gathering of information on Malaysians in those areas,” he said.
Syed Mohamad Hasrin said the ministry was also monitoring safety warnings issued by Nepalese authorities regarding the risk of water overflows from the border areas.
He said the situation in the affected areas remained challenging and safety conditions could change rapidly, while search and rescue operations also faced constraints due to weather conditions and infrastructure damage.
