Dr. Manivannan Rethinam, spokesperson for the Malaysian organization Solidarity: Families in Hope (MASFIH), said the man voluntarily went to the Malaysian Embassy in Kathmandu (Nepal) on October 1st, before heading back to his home country and returning to Malaysia on the morning of October 2nd.
The Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the relatives of those who lost contact through the WhatsApp group “KLN-NOK”. The man's identity has not been released.
According to MASFIH, this is the only case among the original list of 55 Malaysian citizens who were traveling alone. This person was identified as being at Nagthali Viewpoint at 3:26 PM on August 25th, just one day before the floods and landslides occurred.
Nagthali Viewpoint is located in a high-altitude area, significantly higher than Rasuwagadhi – one of the areas affected by the disaster.
According to his family, the man was trapped after roads and bridges were destroyed. Power outages, a lack of clean water, and disruptions to telecommunications made travel and communication particularly difficult.
This case illustrates that people who lose contact after a natural disaster are not necessarily in danger. Some victims may still be safe but isolated for extended periods due to damaged infrastructure and disrupted communication systems.
Following the man's return, the number of Malaysian citizens currently missing in Nepal stands at 54. According to MASFIH, these individuals were all traveling in separate groups.
“This is not just a change in numbers from 55 to 54. It’s the story of a family finally reunited with loved ones after 37 days of uncertainty,” said Manivannan Rethinam.
MASFIH expressed hope that the safe return of one Malaysian citizen would offer renewed hope to the remaining 54 families, whose relatives are still unaccounted for.
The floods and mudslides that occurred on August 26 are believed to have originated from ice and rock collapses in the upstream Lhende Khola basin of Tibet. The disaster reportedly killed more than 1,450 people, with thousands more still missing.
Source: https://tienphong.vn/du-khach-bat-ngo-tro-ve-sau-37-ngay-mat-tich-trong-tham-hoa-lu-quet-nepal-post1881712.tpo
