PUTRAJAYA, Aug 28 — The Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) is ready to deploy its Special Tactical Operation and Rescue Malaysia (STORM) team to Nepal at any time, even at short notice, should it receive instructions from the government.
JBPM director-general Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Mohammad said the deployment of the team, however, would be subject to a request from the Nepalese government as well as instructions and coordination by the Foreign Ministry and the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma).
“We have prepared the best team, particularly from STORM, with the required skills and initial documentation to enable them to be deployed as quickly as possible. If instructions are received, even at short notice, we are ready to move,” he told reporters when met at the 2026 National Day parade rehearsal here today.
He said the preparations were made based on JBPM’s experience in participating in a search and rescue mission in Turkiye previously, which required personnel and travel documents to be prepared in advance.
In a related development, Nor Hisham said JBPM had still been unable to contact the nine hikers, including two department officers, as well as a local agent in Nepal as of this morning.
“We remain hopeful that communication lines there can be restored and that, at the very least, we can obtain some indication of their location and condition,” he said.
He explained that the trip was a private one and was not organised or managed by JBPM.
The members who took part in the trip were experienced hikers, and some were part of the core team that assisted in preparations for a JBPM climber’s attempt to scale Mount Everest last year.
However, he said the trip this time was more of a trekking expedition, with most of the route covered by four-wheel-drive vehicles and only the final one to two hours requiring travel on foot.
The group departed on August 24 and was expected to enter the Tibet border area on August 26.
The last communication was received while the group was having breakfast that morning, but it could not be ascertained whether they were still at their accommodation or had already set off.
“Based on the last photo and location, they were believed to have been in the area. If they started moving at around 8.30 am, we hope they managed to make their way to the higher trekking route. However, this has yet to be confirmed,” he said.
Nor Hisham said JBPM was also in close contact with the families of the officers involved, who were now using various channels and contacts in Nepal to obtain the latest information.
“We pray for the best and hope all the participants are safe,” he said.
Floods and landslides occurred along the Nepal border, affecting the Gyirong Port border crossing in Gyirong County, China, on Wednesday morning.
The death toll from the floods and landslides in Nepal has risen to 389, while 466 people were injured.
