Mission done, but not over: Smart team on way home as Nepal search continues

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 12 — The Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (Smart), which took part in the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief mission in Nepal, is scheduled to return home today or tomorrow, announced Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan. All gear belonging to the team, including drones, has been turned over to Nepalese rescue teams for use in ongoing search operations for flood victims.

Nepal has not yet decided to call off the search and rescue (SAR) efforts, as there are still 5,000 people unaccounted for. Smart team leader will present a report and decide the subsequent course of action. If Nepal requires Malaysia's assistance, the team may offer help with additional search or rescue operations. Smart MAS01 team, comprising 11 personnel and officers, arrived in Nepal on September 5, via Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, after traveling by Royal Malaysian Air Force A400M aircraft from the RMAF Subang Air Base with 12.4 tonnes of SAR equipment.

The Malaysian Embassy in Kathmandu is in regular contact with the Nepalese government to obtain the most recent information on the status of Malaysians reported missing in the disaster, enabling next-of-kin to manage insurance claims and other related matters. In Nepal, a death certificate can be issued after three years for someone reported missing or unaccounted for, while in Malaysia, it takes seven years.

The Malaysian Embassy seeks to collaborate with the Nepalese ministry to establish how next-of-kin can obtain documents confirming the status of the remaining missing Malaysians.