HYDERABAD, Aug 27 — Families have been unable to contact more than 50 Malaysian travellers in Nepal following yesterday’s devastating floods, which have left hundreds of foreigners and Nepalese unaccounted for.
“We are still gathering information on the Malaysians who are unreachable. Family members have been unable to establish contact with more than 50 Malaysians,” Malaysian Embassy in Kathmandu charge d’affaires Mohd Firdaus Azman told Bernama late yesterday.
Firdaus said road access to the affected region had been disrupted by flooding along the Bhote Koshi River, while the Nepalese government had deployed helicopters for search-and-rescue operations.
“We are in touch with the authorities,” he said, adding that obtaining information on the missing Malaysians was challenging because of damage to communication infrastructure.
Malaysians trying to locate relatives or friends should email the passport and travel details of those concerned to the Malaysian Embassy at mwkathmandu@kln.gov.my to assist with coordination, Firdaus said.
The flood death toll surpassed 160 as of last night, while hundreds of people, including tourists and members of Nepal’s police and security forces, remained unaccounted for.
At least 142 Indians were among the foreigners reported missing.
Villages, bridges and power projects were swept away by the floods, which were triggered by an avalanche.
A magnitude-5.2 seismic event was detected near the Nepal-China border at 8.37 am local time on Wednesday, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
“This event was initially reported as a magnitude 4.4 earthquake. Additional analysis of nearby seismic stations, long-period seismic waves, and satellite imagery led to the determination that the seismic event was instead a glacial collapse and debris flow, and that no earthquake had occurred,” the USGS said.
Nepalese authorities had earlier said a sudden flash flood entered Nepal from the Chinese side through the Bhote Koshi River in Rasuwa district.
Nineteen bridges and 40 kilometres of highway were destroyed in the floods, according to a Kathmandu Post report.
Police halted vehicles travelling from Kathmandu towards the worst-hit districts of Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading.
CCTV footage showed buildings and vehicles at the border port of Gyirong in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region being swept away by a torrent of water and mud.
Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered all-out efforts to locate those missing in the region, China’s UN ambassador Fu Cong said in a post on X.
Three deaths and 265 missing people were reported on the Chinese side.
India deployed a C-130J aircraft carrying 10 tonnes of essential relief materials and medical supplies to Nepal.
“Additional air effort by C-17 and C-130 aircraft will transport further relief supplies, with helicopters earmarked for rescue and evacuation operations,” the Indian Air Force said in a post on X.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said his country was ready “to extend any support that Nepal may need at this time of distress”.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said the country “stands firmly with the government and people of Nepal in this difficult hour and remains ready to extend all possible assistance”.
Meanwhile, the Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, which border Nepal, were placed on flood alert.
A sudden rise in the water level of the Trishuli River at Furke Khola in Nepal, about 160 kilometres from the Indian border, had been reported, India’s Home Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The impact of the flood is likely to travel downstream in the Gandak River, in India,” it said.
