PETALING JAYA: Rescue force SMART has been urged to extend its search to both sides of the Nepal-China border when it begins operations in Nepal, to ensure no potential areas are left unchecked.
Malaysia Solidarity: Families in Hope (Masfih) made the appeal to the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) yesterday.
Masfih spokesman Dr R. Manivannan said there was a possibility that some of the Malaysians who remained unaccounted for had crossed the border, and the search should therefore not be confined to the Nepal side.
“We need to obtain the necessary approval from the relevant authorities to allow the SMART team to operate on the China side.
“There is a strong possibility that some of the missing Malaysians may have crossed the border. If the search is conducted only on one side, critical areas may not be checked,” he said when contacted.
Manivannan said the urgency was not only about finding survivors, but also locating, recovering and bringing home the remains of those who may have died in the disaster.
He said if the SMART team only departed on day seven and reached the affected areas on day eight, the remains of those who may have died on the first day could already have deteriorated significantly.
“Further delays could affect the condition and recognisability of the remains, making recovery and identification more difficult.
“The urgency is therefore not only about finding survivors. Time is also critical for the recovery and identification of those who may have perished,” he said.
Echoing the call, family member Subramaniam Murugaya, whose father-in-law Krishnan Vadivelu is among the Malaysians who remain uncontactable, hoped the search would be carried out on both sides of the border.
“We are calling for the SAR team to be deployed on both sides as we are not sure if they have crossed the border.
“The last known location of the Spectrum Horizon group was near the building (immigration facility at the Nepal-China border), but we do not know if they crossed into the China side.”
Manivannan said all 55 Malaysians involved in the flash floods at the Nepal-China border remained unaccounted for and had yet to be rescued.
He said Masfih had also been informed that Wisma Putra was seeking priority assistance from the police to facilitate the collection of DNA samples from the next of kin, with the assistance of the Chemistry Department.
“Since Sunday, many family members have received calls from Wisma Putra to obtain details of the appropriate next of kin and add them to a WhatsApp group managed by a consular assistant from Wisma Putra.
“I was also informed that they are trying to obtain priority assistance from the police for DNA collection, with the help of the Chemistry Department,” he added.
The government had earlier decided to send the SMART team to Nepal to assist in search and rescue (SAR) operations following the floods and landslides that hit the country last Wednesday.
In a related development, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said he had a telephone conversation with Nepalese Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal yesterday to discuss the latest developments in the SAR operation.
“Malaysia has also requested permission from the Nepalese government to deploy the SMART team to assist and support the SAR operation currently underway on the ground,” he said.
