Malaysia seeks Nepal confirmation over body possibly linked to flood-hit group

Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry is holding back from confirming whether a body found in Nepal belongs to someone from a Malaysian tour group caught up in last week’s floods near the Nepal-Tibet border.

The body, believed to be that of a Nepalese national, was reportedly found on Sunday in the Trishuli area, about 75 to 80 kilometres from the group’s last known location. The group, organised by Leaf Holidays, included 23 Malaysian citizens.

Malaysia’s embassy in Kathmandu is seeking confirmation from the relevant Nepalese authorities. The ministry said it had taken note of reports circulating online about an individual allegedly connected to a group affected by the flash floods.

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The Malaysian Embassy in Kathmandu is seeking confirmation from the relevant authorities in Nepal.

Officials are waiting for relatives to take part in identification procedures and for DNA testing to establish the victim’s identity, according to Dr. R. Manivannan, a representative of the families. He said unofficial information about the discovery came from an agent in Nepal after photographs of the body reportedly resembled one member of the group.

The ministry urged media organisations to allow the verification process to proceed and to respect the privacy of the families. It said any information suitable for public release would be shared after confirmation.

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The Foreign Ministry will not speculate about the report while the verification process is still under way.