Following devastating flash floods triggered by heavy rain and glacier collapse along the Nepal-Tibet border, Malaysian authorities are working urgently to trace 54 uncontactable citizens. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim expressed deep distress over the disaster, as rescue teams sweep through the hard-hit Rasuwa district.
Flash Floods Strike the Nepal-Tibet Border
A catastrophic flash flood tore through the border region on Wednesday, August 26, reshaping riverbanks and engulfing infrastructure. The disaster was triggered by torrential rainfall combined with a glacier collapse along the route of the Bhote Koshi River according to the source. The resulting wall of water and debris swept through the Rasuwagadhi-Timure area, washing away entire villages, roads, buildings, and hydroelectric projects reported by the outlet. Communication networks collapsed immediately, and key access roads connecting the affected terrain to Kathmandu were severed, severely restricting movement in and out of the disaster zone.
According to laporan media, kejadian banjir kilat yang melanda kawasan sempadan Nepal-Tibet semalam berpunca daripada hujan lebat serta runtuhan glasier di sepanjang laluan Sungai Bhote Koshi. Bencana itu menjejaskan rangkaian komunikasi serta memutuskan akses jalan raya utama yang menghubungkan kawasan berkenaan dengan ibu negara, Kathmandu, sekali gus menyukarkan perhubungan dan pergerakan keluar masuk dari kawasan terjejas.
Malaysia Mobilizes Embassy and Diplomatic Personnel
The unfolding disaster prompted an immediate, high-level response from Kuala Lumpur. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim issued a public statement addressing the crisis and confirming the scale of the missing citizens as noted by regional reporting. The Embassy of Malaysia in Kathmandu is coordinating directly with local Nepalese authorities and relevant agencies to locate the uncontactable travelers the outlet detailed. To bolster operations on the ground, additional personnel from the Malaysian High Commission in Dhaka, Bangladesh, have been deployed to reinforce field coordination according to official statements.
Kedutaan Besar Malaysia di Kathmandu sedang bekerjasama dengan pihak berkuasa Nepal dan agensi berkaitan bagi mengesan 54 rakyat Malaysia yang masih belum dapat dihubungi susulan bencana banjir kilat di daerah Rasuwa, Nepal, manakala Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim berkata, usaha mengesan serta mendapatkan perkembangan mengenai keadaan semua rakyat Malaysia tersebut sedang giat dilakukan. Pegawai dari Suruhanjaya Tinggi Malaysia di Dhaka, Bangladesh juga sedang digerakkan bagi membantu memperkukuh penyelarasan di lapangan,
kata beliau menerusi kenyataan, sebentar tadi. Beliau yang turut menzahirkan dukacita berkata, Kerajaan Madani menerusi Kementerian Luar Negeri (KLN) akan terus memantau perkembangan berkenaan dengan teliti.
“Berdukacita menerima perkhabaran mengenai bencana tersebut dan saya amat terkesan apabila KLN memaklumkan 54 rakyat Malaysia masih belum dapat dihubungi. Kita akan menggembleng segala ikhtiar diperlukan bagi memastikan keselamatan serta kebajikan rakyat Malaysia yang terjejas diberi keutamaan.”
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia
Discrepancies in Missing Citizen Counts Across Agencies
Reporting from regional bodies highlights the immense difficulty of tracking individuals across the remote, debris-choked disaster zone. While the Prime Minister’s office and national media place the number of uncontactable Malaysians at 54 based on Foreign Ministry briefings, the Nepal Tourism Board reported that 17 Malaysians were among the hundreds of missing foreign nationals according to tourism board updates. Earlier diplomatic advisories had initially indicated a smaller group of 11 citizens in the Rasuwa district before communication failures complicated tracking efforts the platform noted. Travel arrangements for the missing Malaysians were handled by the tour operator Fishtail Tours and Travels the tourism board confirmed.
Seramai 17 rakyat Malaysia antara ratusan warga asing yang dilaporkan hilang susulan banjir kilat yang mengakibatkan kemusnahan di daerah Rasuwa, Nepal pada pagi Rabu, menurut Lembaga Pelancongan Nepal. Urusan perjalanan rakyat Malaysia yang hilang diuruskan oleh agensi pelancongan Fishtail Tours and Travels, menurut Lembaga Pelancongan Nepal. Kementerian Luar Malaysia dalam kenyataan yang dikeluarkan sebelum ini memaklumkan 11 warganegara Malaysia yang dipercayai berada di daerah Rasuwa dilaporkan terputus hubungan susulan banjir berkenaan. Kementerian itu memaklumkan Kedutaan Besar Malaysia di Kathmandu sedang giat menyelaras dengan pihak berkuasa tempatan.
International Scale of the Disaster Zone
The disaster extends far beyond Malaysian nationals, engulfing tourists and residents from numerous countries who happened to be traveling through the Himalayan border corridor. At least 291 foreign nationals and 93 Nepalese citizens remain unreachable according to updated figures from the Nepal Tourism Board. Among the foreign nationals cut off by the floods are 142 Indian citizens—including 37 residing abroad—alongside travelers from Great Britain, South Africa, and the United States the network reported. Search and rescue teams deployed by the Nepalese government continue to navigate treacherous terrain to comb through mud and debris for survivors the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.
Sekurang-kurangnya 291 warga asing dan 93 warga Nepal tidak dapat dihubungi, manakala polis dan pengendali pelancongan sedang berusaha mengesan mereka, menurut lembaga itu dalam kemas kini situasi pada sebelah petang. Pasukan mencari dan menyelamat yang kini dikerahkan oleh kerajaan Nepal sedang berusaha mengesan rakyat Malaysia yang terjejas dan memastikan keselamatan mereka,
menurut kementerian itu. Warga asing lain yang terputus hubungan termasuk 142 warga India, dengan 37 daripadanya menetap di luar negara, serta ramai warga Britain, Afrika Selatan dan Amerika Syarikat (AS).
Next Steps in the Search and Rescue Operation
Rescue operations remain heavily constrained by blocked mountain passes and severed communication lines. Malaysian diplomatic missions in Kathmandu and Dhaka will continue coordinating with local authorities to verify the safety of stranded citizens as field teams clear roads and restore access to the hardest-hit settlements the government confirmed.
Anwar berkata, Kerajaan Madani menerusi KLN akan terus memantau perkembangan terkini dengan teliti serta menggembleng segala ikhtiar diperlukan bagi memastikan keselamatan dan kebajikan rakyat Malaysia yang terjejas diberi keutamaan. Saya menyeru seluruh rakyat Malaysia untuk bersama-sama mendoakan agar kesemua mereka segera ditemui dalam keadaan selamat dan segala usaha mencari serta menyelamat dipermudahkan. Insya-Allah,
katanya.
