Kathmandu hospital to perform autopsy on Kedah APM director's remains

PETALING JAYA: The body of the late Kedah Civil Defence Force director Lt Kol Awang Askandar Ampuan Yaacub will be taken to a hospital in Kathmandu for a post-mortem examination and funeral arrangements, says the Foreign Ministry.

"The ministry, through the Embassy of Malaysia in Kathmandu, Nepal, is currently providing the necessary assistance to bring the body of the deceased down from Mount Everest to the hospital," it said in a statement on Saturday (May 20).

Confirming his death, the ministry said Awang Askandar passed away on Friday (May 19) during the Malaysian Everest Mission 2023.

The expedition was joined by three other climbers and a support team member.

"The ministry sends its condolences to the family of the deceased," it added.

The ministry also confirmed that another climber from the expedition, Muhammad Hawari Hashim, was missing.

"Muhammad Hawari, who is differently-abled, is believed to have reached the peak of Mount Everest and started his descent but is still missing.

"The embassy is in close contact with local authorities who are diligently carrying out search efforts around the area," the ministry said.