Two Malaysians Found Safe in Nepal as 55 Remain Uncontactable After Deadly Floods

KUALA LUMPUR, AUGUST 2026 — Two of the 57 Malaysians previously reported uncontactable following severe flash floods and landslides in Nepal have been located, while efforts are continuing to trace another 55 Malaysians affected by widespread communication and infrastructure disruptions.

Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that the two individuals had been reported safe as of 2.22pm on Friday, August 28. However, their identities, locations and circumstances were still being cross-checked with relevant authorities to ensure the information was accurate and did not overlap with existing records.

Foreign Ministry Deputy Secretary-General for Bilateral Affairs Datuk Syed Mohamad Hasrin Tengku Hussin said the number of Malaysians who remained unreachable was also subject to further verification as information continued to arrive from Nepalese authorities, tourism agencies, travel operators and affected families.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan has instructed the ministry to closely monitor rescue operations and strengthen efforts to establish the whereabouts of Malaysian citizens.

As part of the response, an officer from the Malaysian High Commission in Dhaka has been deployed to Kathmandu to reinforce the Malaysian Embassy’s operations.

The officer is helping coordinate information, monitor developments and maintain communication with Nepalese agencies involved in the emergency response. Malaysian diplomatic representatives are also working with the Nepalese authorities, the country’s Foreign Ministry emergency response team, tourism officials and local tour operators.

The latest Malaysian government update said authorities were also verifying whether any Malaysians were among foreign nationals rescued by Nepalese teams. As of the latest confirmation, Malaysian officials had not established that any citizens were included among those rescue figures.

Officials have also received information suggesting that some Malaysians may have entered affected areas through neighbouring China or India, complicating efforts to compile a definitive list of people potentially caught in the disaster.

The disaster struck Nepal’s Rasuwa district on August 26, with severe flooding linked to overflowing waterways in the Nepal-Tibet border region.

Floodwaters and landslides caused extensive damage to roads, bridges, electricity systems and communication infrastructure. These disruptions have made it difficult for rescue teams to reach some areas and have also prevented families and authorities from contacting people travelling in the region.

Nepalese authorities have been carrying out large-scale search-and-rescue operations as the country deals with the aftermath of one of the region’s most serious recent natural disasters.

By Friday, the search operation had entered its third day, while reports indicated that the overall death toll from the disaster had surpassed 500 people. Hundreds of people from multiple countries were also reported out of contact as rescue teams continued operating across affected areas.

The difficult terrain, damaged transport routes and changing weather conditions have added further challenges for rescuers.

The number of Malaysians currently listed as unreachable should not automatically be interpreted as confirmed casualties or confirmed missing persons.

Officials have stressed that communication outages are one of the major factors preventing contact, while information from different sources continues to be reconciled.

Nepal’s tourism authorities had separately released information concerning hundreds of foreigners from more than 30 countries who were out of contact following the floods. Differences between Nepalese and Malaysian figures highlight the need for continued verification before final numbers can be confirmed.

Some Malaysian travellers elsewhere in Nepal have meanwhile been confirmed safe. A group of Malaysians trekking near Annapurna Base Camp was reported unaffected because the area was far from the worst-hit zone near the Nepal-Tibet border.

Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry has activated a 24-hour operations room in Putrajaya to coordinate information, assist Malaysians affected by the disaster and provide updates to concerned family members.

Authorities are encouraging relatives who have information about Malaysians believed to be travelling in Nepal or surrounding affected regions to provide comprehensive details, including their full name, passport number, travel itinerary, last known location and contact number.

During the first few hours after the operations room was activated, officials received numerous calls from relatives and friends seeking information about Malaysians believed to be in Nepal.

The government has said search and verification efforts will continue as Malaysian diplomatic officials work alongside Nepalese authorities.

For now, the confirmation that two Malaysians have been located safely provides some relief, but uncertainty remains for dozens of families awaiting news of the 55 Malaysians who remain uncontactable amid the continuing emergency.