Families of 55 missing Malaysians in Nepal attend closed-door Wisma Putra briefing
PUTRAJAYA: Family members of 55 Malaysians who remain missing following floods in Nepal arrived at Wisma Putra as early as 9am today for a meeting with government representatives on the latest developments in efforts to locate their relatives.
Families of 55 Malaysians missing in Nepal's recent floods gathered at Wisma Putra for a confidential briefing from government representatives on September 1. The meeting aimed to provide families with updated information on the ongoing search and identification efforts for their relatives, more than a month after the disaster. The attendees included representatives from various departments such as Nadma, SMART, police, Chemistry Department, NRD, and Welfare Department.
This was the second meeting for the families, following a first session on August 30, which also involved the collection of DNA samples to aid in identification.
On August 26, floods triggered by ice and rock avalanches in Tibet caused more than 1,450 deaths, with thousands more still unaccounted for. A 11-member SMART team from Malaysia had been deployed in Nepal since September 5, conducting searches and monitoring areas deemed safe by Nepalese authorities. Despite the team's return on September 14, Wisma Putra clarified that it did not signify the end of efforts to determine the status of the missing Malaysians, as Nepalese authorities continued their search and verification activities alongside Malaysia's diplomatic engagement with relevant authorities.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had previously expressed the families' concerns and hopes to Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah, emphasizing the need for an official mechanism to support the families if the Malaysians remain missing. The floods, which struck on August 26, highlighted the urgent need for effective coordination between Malaysia and Nepal to locate and identify the missing individuals.
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