77 Malaysians brought to Kathmandu for repatriation as 55 remain unaccounted for
SEVENTY-SEVEN Malaysians located in Nepal and Tibet have been brought to Kathmandu for repatriation, while efforts continue to locate 55 others who remain unaccounted for following devastating floods and landslides. Communications Minister Datuk Seri...
Fifty-five Malaysian citizens remain missing after devastating floods and landslides in Nepal and Tibet, while 77 have been identified and repatriated to Kathmandu for resettlement. Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil informed the Cabinet that the Foreign Minister had revealed these figures during a weekly meeting. The repatriation process aims to bring the remaining 55 Malaysians home, as Nepal struggles to manage the aftermath of the disaster which has claimed over 1,000 lives.
Nepal's temporary identification centers have sprouted as authorities grapple with the overwhelming task of identifying bodies without clothing, documents or distinguishing belongings. DNA and forensic samples are being collected for future identification, while morgues and hospitals are overwhelmed, leading to temporary burials of unidentified victims. The emergency procedure, a first for Nepal, involves profiling, DNA testing, and temporary burials to preserve identification possibilities.
Families, like 18-year-old Biresh Kumar Sah, struggle to identify missing relatives amidst the chaos. Sah traveled to search for his missing father and brother, presumed dead after a school was washed away by a mudslide. Over 300 bodies have been recovered from the Trishuli and Narayani rivers, with more still being swept away each day.
The scale of the recovery has strained existing facilities, with morgues reaching capacity and authorities resorting to makeshift holding centers. Nepal Police inspector Anil Thapa lamented the decomposing bodies' unpleasant smell, causing community distress.
The Nepali government, following Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's approval, has pledged a US$1 million contribution towards humanitarian efforts in Nepal. The structured nine-step process for unidentified victims includes profiling, photographs, geolocation, documentation of distinguishing marks, post-mortems, family identification, and the collection of fingerprints, DNA, and other forensic samples.
The remains are placed in body bags and temporarily buried, with identification numbers recorded for future exhumation upon DNA confirmation.
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