Putrajaya:Family members of 55 Malaysians missing after a glacial flash flood in Nepal gathered at Wisma Putra for a briefing on the latest search efforts. The meeting aimed to update them on the verification and identification of victims over a month since the incident.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the closed-door session involved multiple agencies, including the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART), the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), the Department of Chemistry Malaysia, the National Registration Department (JPN), and the Social Welfare Department (JKM).

This meeting is the second since the government initially engaged with the families on August 30, five days after the incident on August 26. During the initial meeting, DNA samples were collected to aid in identifying bodies recovered in Nepal.

A SMART team of 11 personnel was dispatched to Nepal on September 5, conducting ground searches and drone surveillance with approval from Nepalese authorities before returning to Malaysia on September 14. Wisma Putra emphasized that the team's return did not signify an end to the efforts, as Nepalese authorities continue search operations and Malaysia pursues diplomatic engagements.

On September 22, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim discussed the concerns of the victims' families with Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah, highlighting the need for a formal mechanism to assist the families if the Malaysians remain unaccounted for. The August 26 disaster, caused by ice and rock collapse in Tibet, reportedly resulted in over 1,450 deaths, with thousands more missing.