The Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) is ready to deploy its Special Tactical Operation and Rescue Malaysia (STORM) team to Nepal at short notice if instructed by the government.
JBPM director-general Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Mohammad said any deployment would depend on a request from the Nepalese government, followed by instructions and coordination from the Foreign Ministry and the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA).
“We have prepared the best team, particularly from STORM, with the required skills and initial documentation to enable them to be deployed as quickly as possible. If instructions are received, even at short notice, we are ready to move,” he told reporters during the 2026 National Day parade rehearsal here today.
He said JBPM had made the necessary preparations based on its previous experience in search and rescue operations in Turkiye, where personnel and travel documents had to be arranged in advance.
The readiness comes as JBPM continues efforts to establish contact with nine hikers in Nepal, including two of its officers, as well as a local agent involved in the trip.
As of this morning, Nor Hisham said there had been no contact with the group, although the department remained hopeful that communication lines would be restored.
“We remain hopeful that communication lines there can be restored and that, at the very least, we can obtain some indication of their location and condition,” he said.
He stressed that the trip was a private expedition and was not organised or managed by JBPM.
The hikers were experienced and some had been part of the core team involved in preparations for a JBPM climber’s attempt to scale Mount Everest last year.
Nor Hisham said the current expedition was mainly a trekking trip, with most of the journey covered by four-wheel-drive vehicles and only the final one to two hours requiring the group to travel on foot.
The group left on Aug 24 and was expected to reach the Tibet border area on Aug 26.
Its last communication was received while the group was having breakfast that morning, although it remains unclear whether they were still at their accommodation or had already begun their journey.
“Based on the last photo and location, they were believed to have been in the area. If they started moving at around 8.30 am, we hope they managed to make their way to the higher trekking route. However, this has yet to be confirmed,” he said.
JBPM is also maintaining close contact with the families of the two officers, who are using various contacts and channels in Nepal to obtain updates on the group.
“We pray for the best and hope all the participants are safe,” Nor Hisham said.
The situation has raised concerns following floods and landslides along the Nepal border, which also affected the Gyirong Port border crossing in Gyirong County, China, on Wednesday morning.
The floods and landslides in Nepal have claimed 389 lives and left 466 people injured.
