Last phone pings of 54 missing Malaysians traced to Nepal glacial flood site, foreign minister tells Parliament

KUALA LUMPUR, October 22 — The final mobile phone signals from the 54 missing Malaysians in Nepal were pinpointed directly to the site affected by a glacial tsunami, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan announced to the Dewan Rakyat. The tragic incident, which occurred when a massive glacial collapse triggered a flash flood, left over 5,500 individuals unaccounted for in Nepal's northern mountainous region close to Tibet.

Between 1,300 and 1,400 people perished in this catastrophic event. The Foreign Minister stated, "The trajectory of the tsunami (flash floods) and the location of the last pings corresponded precisely with that particular area." He added that all 54 individuals are presumed to have lost their lives. However, the Nepalese government typically requires up to 12 years to provide missing person or death certificates for natural disaster cases, which has led families to demand government intervention.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had requested an executive order from Nepal's Prime Minister to expedite the process for issuing death certificates in disaster cases. The Nepalese government subsequently agreed to an executive order, reducing the waiting period to 45 days, according to Foreign Minister Mohamad. He confirmed that the ministry is currently reviewing the contents of the order.

Mohamad stated, "We are actively monitoring and reviewing the details of the executive order," emphasizing that the accelerated time frame will assist families in resolving administrative and legal matters in the aftermath of the disaster.