Malaysia’s Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) is expected to return from Nepal today or tomorrow after taking part in a humanitarian search and rescue mission following devastating floods and landslides.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the 11-member team had handed over equipment, including drones, to Nepalese rescue teams to support ongoing searches for victims.
Nepalese authorities have not yet announced an end to search and rescue operations, with about 5,000 people still unaccounted for, he said.
Mohamad said the SMART team leader would submit a report and assess the next steps, adding that Malaysia would consider providing further assistance if requested by Nepal.
The SMART MAS01 team arrived in Kathmandu on Sept 5 after departing from the Royal Malaysian Air Force Subang Air Base aboard an A400M aircraft carrying 12.4 tonnes of search and rescue equipment.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Embassy in Kathmandu remains in contact with Nepalese authorities over Malaysians reported missing in the Aug 26 disaster.
Mohamad said the embassy was also working with Nepal’s authorities to determine how families could obtain official documents confirming the status of missing Malaysians for matters including insurance claims.
Under Nepalese rules, a death certificate for a missing person can be issued after three years, compared with seven years in Malaysia, he said.
