Several S’poreans still uncontactable

SINGAPORE — Several Singaporeans in Nepal remain uncontactable in the wake of the devastating earthquake that shook the country on April 25.

Of the five Singaporeans in Nepal who had e-registered with the Foreign Affairs Ministry and whose whereabouts were previously unknown, TODAY understands three have been reached, but two remain uncontactable.

Separately, the Singapore Red Cross said it received three calls to its hotline, one of them a request from a Singaporean seeking help in establishing contact with a family member in Nepal, and the other seeking help to evacuate a family member. The third was a request by a Singaporean to contact a non-Singaporean friend.

It could not provide further information on at least another 15 Singapore residents who were still listed as missing on the International Red Cross’ Restoring Family Links website as of last night.

Meanwhile, the Aluminaid Team Singapura Everest on Everest Base Camp has decided to end their quest to scale the world’s highest peak.

According to updates posted on their Facebook page, Mr Ismail Latiff, 36, Mr Zulkifli Latiff, 42, and Ms Nur Yusrina Yaakob, 28, who had initially planned to stay at the camp to assess the possibility of ascending, has decided return to Singapore. “With the devastation in Nepal now, and in consultation with our families and our sponsors, the team will return back to Singapore,” they said.

Their team-mate, Mr Seumas Yeo was evacuated from Kathmandu on April 27 on one of C-130s sent by the Ministry of Defence. He had remained in the capital after sustaining an injury unrelated to the quake. MATTHIAS TAY