The government has completed collecting DNA samples from the next of kin of 55 Malaysians still uncontactable following floods and landslides in Nepal, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
He said the samples would be sent to Nepal for DNA matching by the authorities there, although the process was expected to take some time due to the large number of victims involved.
Malaysia is also prepared to send experts from the Department of Chemistry to assist the Nepalese authorities with the matching process, if required.
“Many other countries will also be sending their experts to assist Nepal in identifying DNA matches for the victims, which will help expedite the process,” he told reporters after attending the Pinggiran Senawang Independence Carnival here today.
Meanwhile, Mohamad said the Nepalese government had been cooperating closely with the Malaysian Embassy in Kathmandu in providing updates on Malaysians affected by the disaster.
He said the ministry received daily updates from the Chargé d’Affaires on search operations and the situation on the ground. The next-of-kin were also contacted regularly whenever there were new developments.
As search efforts continue, Nepal has limited the entry of foreign search and rescue (SAR) teams to avoid having too many teams on the ground, which could complicate coordination by local authorities.
Nevertheless, Malaysia has deployed 11 officers and personnel from the Special Malaysian Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) to assist SAR operations in flood- and landslide-affected areas. The team departed for Nepal this morning, with the mission expected to last 10 days.
A total of 55 Malaysians were reported still uncontactable following the disaster on Aug 26, while some of the 77 individuals located safely in Tibet and Nepal have since returned to Malaysia. The remainder are expected to return on flights arranged by their respective travel agents.
