KUALA LUMPUR — One of the 55 Malaysians reported to have lost contact following floods and landslides in Nepal last August has been confirmed safe and has returned to Malaysia.

Malaysia Solidarity: Families in Hope (MASFIH) spokesman Dr Manivannan Rethinam said the man went to the Malaysian Embassy in Kathmandu on his own yesterday before departing for home and arriving in the country this morning.

He said the matter was conveyed by the Foreign Ministry through the next-of-kin WhatsApp group, ‘KLN-NOK’, this morning, but the individual’s name was not disclosed.

“The individual was travelling alone and was the only solo traveller among the original list of 55 Malaysians (reported missing) who has now been confirmed safe.

“We were informed that the individual was at Nagthali Viewpoint at 3.26 pm on Aug 25, a day before the floods and landslides occurred. Nagthali Viewpoint is a highland area and is situated at a much higher elevation than the Rasuwagadhi area,” he said in a statement today.

Manivannan said based on information from the family, the man was stranded following the destruction of roads and bridges, as well as the lack of electricity, clean water and telecommunications access, which made movement difficult.

He said the development provided an important indication that disaster victims could be safe but stranded and uncontactable for an extended period due to damage to basic infrastructure and disruption to communication facilities.