Following a catastrophic glacial collapse and flash floods in Nepal and China’s Tibet region on August 26, 2026, 55 Malaysian nationals remain unaccounted for, while foreign ministries and humanitarian teams coordinate rescue efforts, DNA collection, and relief operations for displaced families across the disaster zone.
Disaster Scale and the Search for Unaccounted Malaysians
Nearly two weeks after a torrent of water, mud, and rocks swept through communities along the Nepal-Tibet border, the disaster has left at least 1,300 people dead and more than 5,500 missing across Nepal and China’s Tibet region, according to preliminary reporting. Among the missing are more than 800 foreigners from at least 34 countries, including tourists and pilgrims who had travelled to Tibet to visit Mount Kailash. The Nepalese government estimates the preliminary damage at Rs387.54 billion, or approximately RM10.3 billion.
Official records from Wisma Putra indicate that 55 Malaysian nationals remain uncontactable as of September 7. Immediately after the disaster, Wisma Putra initially confirmed that 55 Malaysian nationals reported to the Malaysian Embassy in Kathmandu as uncontactable due to severe disruptions in communications and electricity networks. On August 29, the ministry further confirmed 36 Malaysians were reported as uncontactable in areas affected by telecommunications disruptions in China. Meanwhile, 72 rakyat Malaysia di Darchen, Tibet, China, telah disahkan selamat dan berada dalam keadaan sihat, dengan Kedutaan Besar Malaysia di Beijing sedang berhubung dengan kumpulan tersebut, memberikan bantuan konsular, termasuk membantu urusan perjalanan mereka untuk meninggalkan Wilayah Autonomi Tibet.
Jurucakap kerajaan, Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil berkata, bagaimanapun 55 lagi rakyat Malaysia masih belum dapat dikesan susulan bencana yang berlaku di daerah Rasuwa, Nepal. Menteri Luar memaklumkan kepada Kabinet bahawa 55 rakyat Malaysia masih belum dapat dikesan, manakala 77 rakyat Malaysia yang ditemui di Tibet dan Nepal dibawa ke Kathmandu untuk proses penghantaran pulang. Menurut kenyataan Wisma Putra pada Sabtu, 55 rakyat Malaysia masih belum dapat dihubungi, manakala dua lagi telah berjaya dihubungi. Bilik Operasi Kementerian di Putrajaya telah beroperasi 24 jam sejak 27 Ogos 2026 bagi menyelaras maklumat dan membantu rakyat Malaysia di kawasan terjejas serta ahli keluarga mereka.
Humanitarian Response and Ground Operations in Rasuwa
Five Malaysian volunteers are heading deep into one of Nepal’s worst-hit flood zones, travelling over rough terrain to deliver emergency supplies and help families whose homes and communities have been devastated by floods and landslides. The team from United Sikhs Malaysia, a Malaysian humanitarian aid organisation involved in disaster relief and community assistance, is travelling to Dhunche in Rasuwa district to establish a base camp before pushing on to Syapru Besi near the Nepal-Tibet border. In a Facebook post today, the group said that the journey to Dhunche is expected to take 10 to 12 hours, with the team then facing challenging off-road conditions to reach Syapru Besi, about 40km from the border. The volunteers will first unload relief supplies at their base before continuing to the affected town.
The team’s immediate priority is to build temporary shelters for families displaced by the disaster, the group’s legal director Raspreet Kaur told the The New Straits Times. She said a local resident had also sought help for 98 children whose parents remained missing, with the team planning to provide necessities including colouring materials. The volunteers had earlier prepared mosquito nets and tarpaulins worth about RM28,000 for around 300 affected families, with the supplies delivered.
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mengumumkan sumbangan sebanyak AS$1 juta (RM4.04 juta) kepada Nepal bagi membantu usaha kemanusiaan susulan bencana berkenaan, selain mengarahkan penghantaran Pasukan Bantuan dan Menyelamat Khas Malaysia (SMART) bagi membantu operasi mencari dan menyelamat di kawasan terjejas.
Victim Identification and Unresolved Questions
Malaysia is awaiting approval from the Nepalese government to deploy deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) experts to assist in identifying the bodies of disaster victims in the country. Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said Malaysia had submitted a request to deploy the experts, with the DNA identification process expected to begin after search and rescue (SAR) operations conclude. He said the expertise was needed to match DNA samples taken from recovered bodies with samples provided by the families of Malaysian citizens who remain missing. “There are bodies that have been recovered but were immediately buried due to a lack of adequate facilities. We need DNA to match against the DNA samples from the families of the Malaysian citizens. The process will be carried out once the search and rescue (SAR) operation concludes,” he told a press conference following a luncheon held in conjunction with the working visit of Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow here today. Last Saturday, Mohamad announced that DNA samples had been successfully collected from the next of kin of the 55 Malaysians who remain unaccounted for following floods and landslides in Nepal.
