SUBANG, Sept 5 — Eleven personnel and officers from the Special Malaysian Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) departed for Nepal this morning to assist search and rescue (SAR) operations in areas affected by floods and landslides.
National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) director-general Datuk Meor Ismail Meor Akim said the team is led by commander Abdul Manaf Che Isa, with the mission expected to last 10 days.
“The team has been specially formed with multi-skilled personnel covering search and rescue operations, drone operations, logistics, communications and technical support,” he told a press conference here today.
He said the team is expected to arrive in Nepal at about 11 am local time before receiving an operational briefing and being deployed to identified locations, including to assist Malaysians affected by the disaster.
“We may be deployed to the tunnel area, but that will depend on the briefing there. In this operation, we will rescue anyone who needs help, but our focus will be the area where our citizens were last reported to be,” he said.
A Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) A400M aircraft carrying the SMART team under Nadma and 12.4 tonnes of SAR equipment departed from the Subang Air Base here at 9am.
The equipment includes rescue gear, detection devices, communications systems, high-capacity drones and specialised equipment, including tunnel rescue equipment, as well as a four-wheel-drive vehicle and a 10-tonne cargo truck.
Abdul Manaf said the team would arrive in Kathmandu before receiving a briefing from the local emergency management authorities and being deployed to the designated locations.
“Our mission is very clear: it is a humanitarian mission. We are also bringing specialised equipment to prepare for tunnel rescue operations, as well as communications, medical and health equipment,” he said.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had earlier said that the Madani Government had decided to deploy SMART to Nepal to assist in SAR operations, in addition to providing US$1 million in humanitarian aid.
A total of 55 Malaysians are still uncontactable following the disaster on Aug 26. Another 77 Malaysians, who were confirmed safe in Tibet and Nepal, have been brought to Kathmandu for processing before returning to Malaysia. — Bernama
