FAMILIES of the 54 Malaysian victims involved in the devastating Aug 26 Nepal-Tibet flood tragedy will each receive a one-off financial aid payment of RM10,000.
Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R Ramanan confirmed that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim finalised the decision after a Cabinet meeting.
The National Disaster Management Agency will disburse the payout through a strict priority hierarchy for next of kin, starting with surviving spouses, followed by parents and children.
The Malaysian Indian Community Transformation Unit has been instructed to coordinate with the Finance Ministry to rapidly reach affected families. The catastrophe, caused by a massive glacial ice and rock avalanche at Lhende Khola in Tibet, killed 1,451 people and left thousands missing regionwide.
Following the catastrophic monsoon flash floods on Aug 26, 2026, which left over 1,270 dead and 4,700 missing, the Government of Nepal launched a massive, multi-faceted operation to handle Disaster Victim Identification.
Because a glacial and rock collapse triggered an overwhelming wall of water and debris along the Nepal-China border, many recovered bodies were severely dismembered, decomposed, or stripped of their clothing, presenting an unprecedented forensic challenge.
Malaysia deployed an 11-member Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) to Nepal on Sept 5, 2026, to aid search and rescue operations following severe floods and landslides.
Led by commander Abdul Manaf Che Isa, the 11 SMART personnel departed from Subang Air Base aboard a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) A400M transport aircraft, accompanied by 31 RMAF personnel and specialised high-capacity drones.
The team was sent to help locate missing individuals – including 55 Malaysians uncontactable following the August 26 disasters along the Nepal-Tibet border – and assist local authorities and the Malaysian Embassy in Kathmandu with recovery and aid coordination. — Nov 7, 2026
Main photo credit: AFP
