KUALA LUMPUR: The wife of a Fire and Rescue Department Special Air Unit officer, who was reported missing in Nepal, flew to Kathmandu on Friday (Aug 28) to seek an update on the search for her husband.
Hani Othman said she had decided to travel to Nepal alone to get the latest updates on efforts to find those missing there, saying she did not want to stay at home.
"I decided to take the initiative myself to get an update because I cannot simply stay at home and cry. I must do something.
"I am travelling alone, but I have friends and my husband's acquaintances there who are ready to help. The Malaysian Embassy in Kathmandu has also been informed of my arrival,” she told Bernama when contacted here on Friday.
Hani's husband, Fire and Rescue Department Senior Fire Officer II Mohd Fakhrul Munir Mohd Isa, in his 40s, better known as Loe, was reported missing during a climbing expedition in Nepal.
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Fire and Rescue Department deputy director of the Fire and Rescue Operations Division Mohd Sani Harul was also reported missing during the same climbing expedition.
Hani said her family and close friends had continued to hold special prayers for the safety and wellbeing of her husband and the other missing people.
Before he was reported missing, Fakhrul Munir shared his personal views on the risks of extreme mountaineering and the impact of the Broad Peak tragedy in a social media post on Aug 2. He also drew a comparison with the 1996 Everest disaster linked to a storm.
Meanwhile, M Vasanthi, 51, said she hoped her sister, M Venilla, 52, another Malaysian who was travelling to Mount Kailash in Tibet, China, when the incident occurred, would be found safe. Venilla has yet to be contacted.
"I am lost for words. I want my sister to return home safely. Her children and I are constantly praying for her safety,” she told Bernama.
Vasanthi said the situation has taken an emotional toll on her sister's three children, aged 26, 21 and 18, who are now finding it difficult to sleep at night.
"I have decided to stay with them at my sister’s home in Puchong. Although I am struggling to find the strength myself, at a difficult time like this I need to stay strong and be there for them as we get through this difficult period,” she said.
Vasanthi said she last spoke to her sister via video call on Wednesday at about 11.30 am Malaysian time, adding that Venilla was on a bus after arriving in Nepal with a group of about 35 friends.
"My sister went there to take part in a religious ceremony and, although she was very tired when we spoke, she seemed happy and even shared views of the beautiful scenery around her from inside the bus,” she said.
The Foreign Ministry said 57 Malaysians remained uncontactable following the major floods that hit Nepal.
The latest figure was based on information received from family members, friends and employers as of 11pm on Aug 27.- Bernama
