Kuala lumpur: Eleven personnel and officers from the Special Malaysian Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) departed for Nepal this morning to assist search and rescue (SAR) operations in areas affected by floods and landslides. National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) director-general Datuk Meor Ismail Meor Akim said the team is led by commander Abdul Manaf Che Isa, with the mission expected to last 10 days.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the team has been specially formed with multi-skilled personnel covering search and rescue operations, drone operations, logistics, communications, and technical support. They are expected to arrive in Nepal at about 11 am local time before receiving an operational briefing and being deployed to identified locations, including to assist Malaysians affected by the disaster.
A Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) A400M aircraft carrying the SMART team under NADMA and 12.4 tonnes of SAR equipment departed from the Subang Air Base at 9 am. The equipment includes rescue gear, detection devices, communications systems, high-capacity drones, and specialised equipment, including tunnel rescue equipment, as well as a four-wheel-drive vehicle and a 10-tonne cargo truck.
Abdul Manaf stated that the team would arrive in Kathmandu before receiving a briefing from the local emergency management authorities and being deployed to the designated locations. The mission, as reiterated by Abdul Manaf, is a humanitarian one, focusing on providing assistance where needed and preparing for tunnel rescue operations with the specialised equipment brought along.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had earlier announced the MADANI Government's decision to deploy SMART to Nepal to assist in SAR operations. Additionally, the government has allocated US$1 million in humanitarian aid. A total of 55 Malaysians are still uncontactable following the disaster on August 26, while another 77 Malaysians, confirmed safe in Tibet and Nepal, have been brought to Kathmandu for processing before returning to Malaysia.