PETALING JAYA: Three more Malaysians have gone missing in the floods and landslides that struck West Sumatra, bringing the total number of missing Malaysians in the disaster to four.
In its latest update, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said the three Malaysians, comprising two men and a woman aged between 63 and 64, have been uncontactable since Nov 27.
It said they were last believed to be in Aceh or North Sumatra when all communications with them were lost.
Days earlier, 30-year-old Asrul Nizam Apridwson was the first Malaysian to be reported missing when a vehicle he was travelling in with seven Indonesian nationals was hit by a landslide in Padang Panjang.
The ministry said four of them survived the incident, and search efforts are underway for Asrul and the remaining three passengers.
The ministry said Asrul's parents have arrived in Padang and are being assisted by the Consulate General of Malaysia in Medan.
"The Consulate General is working with the Indonesian authorities to determine their whereabouts, although adverse weather conditions continue to hamper movement and communications. The search and rescue teams are facing challenging conditions such as floods and landslides triggered by heavy rain. This has also disrupted access to several districts in West Sumatra," it said in a statement.
The ministry urged families who have relatives in the affected areas and were unable to contact them should reach out to the Consulate General of Malaysia in Medan for assistance
