PUTRAJAYA, Aug 28 — 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.
“We are hoping for the best. But under these conditions, it is quite difficult. Their authorities are also dealing with their own affected citizens. The situation is severe, with cut-off roads, damaged bridges and so on,” he said.
The Foreign Ministry’s operations room in Putrajaya is now operating 24 hours a day to coordinate information, assist Malaysians in the affected areas and provide updates to family members.
According to Syed Mohamad Hasrin, every call and piece of information received must be cross-checked with the lists from Nepalese authorities and the ministry’s internal records to avoid duplication or confusion.
The number of unreachable Malaysians was obtained from various sources, including Nepalese authorities, Tourism Malaysia, tour operators and family members.
Within the first two to three hours after the operations room was activated, the ministry received between 12 and 15 calls from family members and friends seeking information on Malaysians believed to be in Nepal.
The ministry urged family members with relevant information to contact the operations room, providing details such as full names, passport numbers, travel itineraries, last known locations and contactable phone numbers.
Malaysians with relevant information can contact the Putrajaya Operations Room at +603 8887 4570 or email [email protected]. — Bernama
