Politics · Malaysia Bureau
Malaysian search team to withdraw from Nepal earthquake operations
Malaysia's foreign minister has announced that the SMART disaster relief team will return home from Nepal, where search efforts for 55 missing Malaysians have yielded no results amid thousands still unaccounted for following the recent earthquake.
LSN Malaysia ·
Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan confirmed that Malaysia's SMART (Special Malaysia Assistance and Rescue Team) will conclude its operations in Nepal and prepare for departure, marking the end of the country's intensive search and rescue mission in the earthquake-affected region.
The announcement comes after extensive search operations failed to locate any trace of the 55 Malaysians among approximately 5,000 people still reported missing following the natural disaster. Despite the efforts of rescue personnel, no significant developments have emerged in locating the missing Malaysian nationals.
The SMART team, comprising specialist personnel trained in disaster response, has been deployed to assist with relief operations in the aftermath of the earthquake. The decision to withdraw reflects the challenging conditions and limited progress in locating survivors at this stage of the recovery effort.
The Malaysian government continues to coordinate with Nepali authorities and maintain efforts to account for the missing citizens through diplomatic channels. Mohamad Hasan's statement underscores the complexity of large-scale disaster operations where thousands remain unaccounted for across the broader affected region.