Two Malaysians still missing in Nepal mountains

Embassy charge says rescue teams and police have provided no new information

KATHMANDU: The fate of two Malaysian trekkers in the Himalayan mountains is still unknown, 10 days after a deadly earthquake struck Nepal.

Rescue teams and Nepali police had not further information about them, said the Malaysian charge d’affairs, Fadli Adilah, late yesterday.

Dennis Lee Thian Poh, 47, a businessman, was reported missing while trekking from Khopra Danda to Deurali in northern-central Nepal on April 5; Sai Jaya Raj Anthony, 37, has been missing since April 21.

Lee’s family had informed the embassy that he entered Nepal via New Delhi. The last communication from him was from Langtang, a popular trekking site after Annapurna and Everest.

Fadli said he had been in constant communication with Nepali authorities, who had informed him that there were several avalanches and landslides in both areas even before the earthquake.

Nepal is a popular destination for Malaysian climbers, especially to the Annapurna Ranch, Lantang Ranch and Everest Ranch.

The earthquake has claimed the lives of more than 6,500 people so far.

Despite the devastation caused by the earthquake a five-member Everest team from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in Skudai, Johor, continue to hope that they can go ahead with their plans to scale the world’s highest peak.

Nepali authorities have banned any trekking activities following the death of 18 climbers due to an avalanche triggered by the earthquake.

Team leader Azim Afif said they were determined to proceed once the ban was lifted.

The group returned here on Friday night from Lukla in a specially chartered helicopter on the advice of UTM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Wahid Omar.

Azim, 27, said the group’s first attempt in April last year was cancelled, after 18 Sherpas (mountain guides) died in a major avalanche.

The team members include Azim’s wife, Anis Zulaika Zabani, 25, Jamhuri Jumari, 21, Farul Aidib Mohammad Yusoff, 21, and Azham Afzanizam Hamzah, 27.

They arrived in Lukla on March 28 and were acclimatising themselves at the base camp when the earthquake triggered an avalanche.

– BERNAMA