Kathmandu: The family of N. Kalaiselvi, a Malaysian reported missing in the Nepal landslide tragedy, hopes the relevant authorities will continue to provide updates on the search and rescue (SAR) efforts following the impending return of the Malaysian Special Search and Rescue Team (SMART).

According to BERNAMA News Agency, her daughter, Kritikaa Joyce De Brito, expressed the family's deep appreciation for the government's efforts and acknowledged the challenges faced by rescuers on the ground. However, she emphasized the importance of sharing a clear picture of the areas already surveyed by the team to alleviate their anxiety.

Kritikaa explained that her 65-year-old mother was among 27 Malaysians who traveled to Mount Kailash in Tibet, China, to perform religious rituals before being reported out of contact due to the natural disaster in the Rasuwa district. She acknowledged the complexities involved in the assignment, which require approval from Nepal, as well as logistical considerations, weather, and terrain conditions. Nevertheless, she urged the relevant parties to provide a clear overview of the systematically surveyed debris or forest areas before the SMART team withdraws.

She further added that a detailed explanation of the field activity results is crucial for family members to ensure that all reasonable efforts have been made during this extremely difficult time. Earlier, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan informed that the SMART team is expected to return to Malaysia on Saturday or Sunday, as the SAR operations are nearing completion and not much more can be done by the team.

However, he noted that the Nepalese government has not officially decided to end the SAR operations yet, as there are still about 5,000 individuals categorized as unaccounted for due to the disaster.