Malaysia gets approval from Nepal to send SMART team as early as today

PUTRAJAYA - Malaysia will deploy the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) to Nepal as early as Sept 5, following official approval from the Nepalese government to assist in search and rescue operations in areas affected by the recent floods and landslides.

The Foreign Ministry in a statement on Friday said the 11-member team will be equipped with high-capacity drones and specialised equipment to support operations led by Nepalese authorities in areas requiring technical expertise and dedicated operational capability.

"The deployment will be subject to operational needs and safety conditions," the statement read.

The ministry said 55 Malaysians were still reported as uncontactable as of Sept 4.

The disaster began on Aug 26, when a glacial lake collapse triggered a massive flash flood down the Bhote Koshi River, sweeping into Nepal's Rasuwa district from the Tibetan side of the border before surging further downstream along the Trishuli River into Nuwakot. The flooding also affected communities across the border in Tibet.

Rescue efforts have since been hampered by damaged infrastructure, including dozens of destroyed suspension bridges and blocked highways. Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reported the death toll had climbed to at least 1,252 as of Sept 3, with more than 4,200 people still unaccounted for. Search teams have used excavators to dig through tunnels at hydropower project sites buried in mud and rock, though several remain inaccessible.

Scientists have pointed to visible warning signs at the source glacier in the days before it collapsed. Several countries, including the United States, have also confirmed they are tracking citizens unaccounted for in the affected region.