One of the 55 Malaysians unaccounted for after the floods and landslides in Nepal has been found safe and has returned home, ending 37 days of uncertainty for one family. The development leaves 54 Malaysians still uncontactable.
Malaysia Solidarity: Families in Hope (MASFIH) spokesman Dr Manivannan Rethinam said the Foreign Ministry confirmed the update to family members in an official message, after the man arrived at the Malaysian Embassy in Kathmandu. The information was shared through the ministry’s WhatsApp group.
“We are immensely happy and grateful that one of the 55 Malaysians who was previously missing has now been found safe and returned to their family,” he told NST.
A spokeswoman for the Malaysian Embassy in Kathmandu confirmed that a Malaysian man turned up at the embassy on Wednesday, claiming to be among the 55 Malaysians reported missing. “The person came to the embassy on Wednesday and informed us that he was one of the 55 Malaysians listed as missing following the Aug 26 floods,” she said.
Wisma Putra informed the families’ group that the man had presented himself at the embassy, according to Free Malaysia Today. He returned to Malaysia this morning and is now with his family, MASFIH said.
Manivannan said direct contact with the man’s next of kin showed the Chinese Malaysian, who was travelling alone, was at Nagthali Viewpoint at 3.26pm on Aug 25, a day before the floods and landslides struck. Nagthali Viewpoint sits on higher ground, well above the Rasuwagadhi area.
The traveller was stranded for a period after roads and bridges were damaged, along with a loss of electricity, water supply and Wi-Fi access that hampered movement and communication. “He eventually managed to make his way to the Malaysian Embassy,” Manivannan said.
The group described the development as an encouraging relief 37 days after the disaster. “After 37 days of uncertainty, a family finally welcomed back their loved one. The joy of this family is felt by all the other families still waiting. If one can be safe, stranded and out of communication for a long period before finally being found and reunited with their family, we do not want to lose hope for the 54 Malaysians who are still uncontactable,” it said.
The 55 Malaysians had been listed as uncontactable since flash floods and landslides struck Nepal’s Rasuwa district on Aug 26, also affecting areas along the Nepal-Tibet border.
The Aug 26 floods and debris flow killed more than 1,450 people in Nepal, FMT reported, while thousands remain unaccounted for. MASFIH said the search for the remaining 54 Malaysians continues, and that the families have not given up hope.
