Nepal Floods: One of 55 Missing Malaysians Confirmed Safe
KUALA LUMPUR: One of the 55 Malaysians who had lost contact following the floods and landslides in Nepal last August has been confirmed safe and has returned to Malaysia.
Malaysia Solidarity: Families in Hope (MASFIH) spokesman Dr Manivannan Rethinam said the man personally reported to the Malaysian Embassy in Kathmandu yesterday before departing for home and arriving safely in Malaysia this morning.
He said the development was conveyed by the Foreign Ministry through a WhatsApp group for the next of kin today, although the individual’s identity was not disclosed.
“The individual was travelling alone and was the only solo traveller among the original list of 55 Malaysians reported missing who has now been confirmed safe.
“We were informed that the individual was at Nagthali Viewpoint at 3.26pm on Aug 25, a day before the floods and landslides occurred on Aug 26. Nagthali Viewpoint is located in a highland area and is at a much higher elevation than Rasuwagadhi,” he said in a statement today.
Manivannan said that based on information from the family, the man had been stranded following the destruction of road networks and bridges, compounded by the lack of electricity, clean water and telecommunications access, which severely restricted his movement.
He said the development provided an important indication that disaster victims could still be safe but stranded and cut off from communication for an extended period due to damaged infrastructure and disrupted communication networks.
Following the latest development, he said 54 Malaysians remain out of contact, with all of them travelling in several separate groups.
“For MASFIH, this development is not merely a change in numbers from 55 to 54, but about a family finally being reunited with their loved one after 37 days of uncertainty.
“We hope his safe return will continue to provide a ray of hope to the other 54 families that their loved ones may also still be out there and will one day return home to them,” he said.
The floods and debris flows on Aug 26, triggered by a collapse of ice and rock in the upper catchment of Lhende Khola in Tibet, were reported to have killed more than 1,450 people, while thousands more remain unaccounted for.
BERNAMA