Families of 55 missing Malaysians return to Wisma Putra for latest Nepal search update

On September 27, families of the 55 Malaysians still missing after the glacial flash flood in Nepal turned up at Wisma Putra to meet with government officials for the latest updates on the search efforts. The closed-door meeting aimed to provide families with detailed explanations about the ongoing search operations, as well as the verification and identification of victims, more than a month after the disaster struck.

Representatives from several government agencies were expected to participate in the meeting, which marked the second such session following the government's initial engagement with the families on August 30, just five days after the incident on August 26.

The first meeting included a briefing and the collection of DNA samples to aid in the identification process of bodies recovered in Nepal. A team of 11 Smart personnel was deployed to Nepal on September 5, conducting ground searches and drone surveillance in designated safe areas before returning to Malaysia on September 14. Wisma Putra emphasized that the team's return did not signify the end of efforts to determine the status of the 55 Malaysians, as Nepalese authorities were continuing their search, verification, and identification operations. Meanwhile, Malaysia pursued diplomatic efforts with Nepalese authorities.

On September 22, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim conveyed the families' concerns and hopes to Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah, stressing the need to establish a formal mechanism to aid the families should the Malaysians remain unaccounted for. The floods and debris flows on August 26, caused by an ice and rock collapse in Tibet's upper Lhende Khola catchment area, resulted in over 1,450 deaths, leaving thousands more missing.