KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27 — A group of Malaysian hikers at the Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) trekking area has been reported safe following a flash flood at the Nepal-Tibet border believed to have been caused by a glacier collapse yesterday.
Freelance tour guide Muhammad Hafizal Hamidon said the Malaysian hikers in the area were unaffected because the flash flood was far from their trekking route.
“Alhamdulillah (God be praised), so far everyone here is safe and well. Although it rained quite heavily yesterday afternoon, we are safe here, and there are also many other Malaysians in this area.
“The incident occurred in the Langtang Valley, which is quite far from our trekking route to ABC,” he told Bernama Radio when contacted today.
Hafizal and his group, now on the fourth day of their trek to ABC, said none of their fellow hikers or Malaysians had been identified as affected by the tragedy.
Commenting on the situation and the move out of the trekking area, he said the road access route back to the city was understood to have been slightly disrupted after the incident.
“Based on information from the guides and trekking organisers, the route for us to leave may be slightly affected, but it is expected to be resolved within a few days.
“The road is expected to be restored before we complete our trek,” Hafizal said, confirming that his group is scheduled to return home on Monday (August 31).
Meanwhile, he advised Malaysians in Nepal to follow local guides' instructions and keep their whereabouts updated to avoid causing concern among family members back home.
Similarly, those planning to trek in Nepal in the near future should postpone their plans temporarily due to unpredictable weather conditions and the high risks involved.
The Foreign Ministry said that 55 Malaysians reported to the Embassy in Kathmandu are currently uncontactable following floods and destruction caused by the overflowing Bhote Koshi River in Rasuwa District, Nepal, yesterday.
In a statement today, it said this was based on the latest information received from family members, travel agencies, and other relevant sources.
