JEDDAH, Aug 27 - The number of Malaysians who remain unaccounted for following the devastating floods in Nepal has yet to be confirmed by the authorities there, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
The Embassy in Kathmandu is gathering and cross-checking the information provided by travel agencies.
“We have tried to contact them but have received no response. They have therefore been placed on the list of those still missing, while Nepalese security agencies are carrying out search and rescue (SAR) operations,” he said in an interview today.
Mohamad was speaking to Bernama as he leads Malaysia's delegation to the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in Doha.
He added that efforts to locate them are proving difficult because access routes are damaged and roads and bridges are disrupted.
The latest information from the Embassy in Kathmandu and Nepal’s Foreign Affairs Ministry indicated that authorities are conducting SAR operations for those still missing.
“We have received reports describing the flooding as a massive inland tsunami, which caused many deaths and left many people still missing,” Mohamad said.
Putrajaya has also deployed additional personnel from Dhaka, Bangladesh, to Kathmandu to assist the Embassy by monitoring the operation, managing the welfare of Malaysians, and coordinating with Nepalese security authorities.
“We sent additional personnel from Dhaka because it is roughly a one-hour flight to Kathmandu,” he said.
On the possibility of Malaysia deploying rescue teams and other forms of assistance, Mohamad said the National Security Council would decide.
He also conveyed his sympathies and condolences to the families of Malaysians who have yet to be located.
“My condolences and deepest sympathies go to the families of all Malaysians who remain missing or unaccounted for,” he said, adding that he prayed they would be found.
