(2nd LD) Lee orders mobilization of all resources to rescue S. Koreans affected by Nepal flooding

KUALA LUMPUR - Two Fire and Rescue Department officers from Malaysia are among the list of Malaysians unaccounted for following the catastrophic flash floods in Rasuwa, Nepal, the Department's director-general Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Mohammad disclosed today. The officers, Mohd Fakhrul Munir Mohd Isa, a professional climber and member of the department's special forces team, and senior officer Mohd Sani Harul, were travelling towards Everest Base Camp (EBC) when the disaster struck.

They were part of a group of 10 Malaysians who had departed for Nepal on Monday night. The Malaysian contingent was not climbing but trekking by jeep along the Tibet route. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has dispatched relevant authorities to urgently coordinate relief efforts in response to the devastating floods in Nepal and India.

He directed all agencies, including the National Security Council and the Foreign Ministry, to swiftly evaluate the situation and reach out to embassies in India and Nepal to hasten assistance for the affected individuals. The directive follows growing concern over over 50 Malaysian travelers in Nepal who have been unreachable since the floods, leaving hundreds of locals and foreigners unaccounted for.

Charge d'affaires at the Malaysian Embassy in Kathmandu, Mohd Firdaus Azman, reported that hampered communication infrastructure and disrupted road access have complicated efforts to gather information on the Malaysians. Nepalese authorities have deployed helicopters for search and rescue operations, though access to certain affected areas remains challenging.