Nepal floods: SMART ready for SAR mission, awaits green light
PUTRAJAYA: The Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) is still awaiting feedback from the Nepalese government as to whether it is ready to receive a search and rescue (SAR) team from Malaysia to assist in operations following the massive floods that hit the country.
The Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) is poised to assist in search and rescue operations following massive floods in Nepal, but remains awaiting approval from the Nepalese government. SMART commander Abdul Manaf Che Isa expressed readiness to embark on the mission, stating the team is fully prepared. Coordination will be conducted through the Foreign Ministry, National Security Council (NSC) and National Disaster Management Agency (Nadman).
The team, comprised of 112 personnel, is currently in final preparations. The deployment decision follows Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's announcement to support SAR efforts and locate Malaysians affected by the disaster. Malaysia has pledged US$1 million to Nepal for affected populations and recovery post-disaster. As of now, 36 Malaysians remain uncontactable in China and 55 in Nepal, and the death toll has risen to 804 with nearly 3,300 still missing.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
