In Nepal itself, 55 Malaysians remain reported as uncontactable down from an earlier count after two additional citizens were confirmed contacted. Verification of the remaining cases is ongoing.
PETALING JAYA: Wisma Putra says a group of 72 Malaysians stranded in Tibet, China, following the devastating floods and landslides in Nepal’s Rasuwa district have been confirmed safe, even as 91 other citizens across Nepal and China remain uncontactable.
In a statement issued today, Wisma Putra said its consular response has now been expanded to cover Malaysians affected by travel disruptions on the Chinese side of the border, in addition to those in Nepal.
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The ministry confirmed that a group of 72 Malaysians in Darchen, in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, are safe and in good health.
The Embassy of Malaysia in Beijing is in contact with the group, and their families have been informed of their status. The embassy is assisting with arrangements for the group to leave the region.
Separately, Wisma Putra said it has received reports from Chinese authorities and family members of 36 additional Malaysians who are currently uncontactable in areas hit by telecommunications disruptions.
The ministry said it is working with Chinese authorities and families to re-establish contact, while cross-checking these cases against reports of missing Malaysians in Nepal to avoid double-counting as verification continues.
In Nepal itself, 55 Malaysians remain reported as uncontactable down from an earlier count after two additional citizens were confirmed contacted. Verification of the remaining cases is ongoing.
The Embassy of Malaysia in Kathmandu continues to coordinate with Nepal’s Emergency Response Team, the Nepal Tourism Board, travel agencies and local authorities to trace those still unreachable.
Taken together, the two figures put the total number of uncontactable Malaysians linked to the disaster at 91, spanning both sides of the Nepal-China border.
Search and rescue operations in Nepal are ongoing, and authorities are also monitoring the risk of further water surges originating from the Tibet Autonomous Region.
As of 5pm Nepal time (7.15pm Malaysian time) on August 28, Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reported that 771 people had been rescued in total, including 116 foreign nationals. Based on the official list available at that stage, no Malaysian has been identified among the foreign nationals rescued so far.
Nepal police separately raised the confirmed death toll from the disaster to 616 in a bulletin issued Saturday morning, with nearly 1,924 people still listed as missing nationwide, figures that underline the scale of a disaster triggered by a glacial lake outburst and flash flood that tore through the Bhote Koshi river valley on Aug 26.
Wisma Putra’s Operations Room in Putrajaya has been running 24 hours a day since August 27 to coordinate information and support affected Malaysians and their families.
Anyone with relevant information can reach the ministry through:
Phone: +603 8887 4570
Email: dutyofficer@kln.gov.my
The ministry reiterated its appeal to the public not to speculate or circulate unverified information while efforts to confirm the safety and whereabouts of the Malaysians concerned continue, saying further updates will be issued based on verified information through official channels.
