Family pleads for Nepal SAR continue as SMART returns

The family of Malaysian climber Muhammad Muhaimin Azhad Noor Hadi is pleading for authorities to continue searching for him after the Malaysia's Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) returned from Nepal. Muhaimin, 27, has been missing since July 26 and his sister-in-law, Fina, says there has been no clear update on the search, which has been ongoing for 20 days.

Two other Malaysians, Muhammad Zaki Othman, 29, and Muhammad Adib Haikal Awang Mansor, 27, are also uncontactable due to the floods and landslides in Nepal. The family has been left waiting for information and urges authorities to expand the search to villages and other areas where the Malaysians could be. According to the Malaysian Foreign Ministry, the SMART team returned to Malaysia after conducting searches in Nepal that were safe and with permission from local authorities.

Though the SMART team's deployment is ending, this does not mean efforts to locate the 55 Malaysians uncontactable in Nepal and China have ceased. The Ministry will assess information gathered by SMART and developments from Nepal to determine the next steps.