13 Malaysians on cycling expedition to Nepal safe

KUALA LUMPUR: Thirteen participants of the Annapurna High-Altitude Cycling Expedition from Seven Continents Exploration Club (KE7B), including two media practitioners, are reported to be safe after a strong 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit the Himalayan region yesterday afternoon.
The expedition president Muhamad Muqarabbin Mokhtarrudin said all cyclists left for Kathmandu on April 24 and were scheduled to start cycling from today to May 4.
"All participants are in good health and safe in a hotel in Kathmandu. I heard that the earthquake struck about 100km from Kathmandu. They (participants) have also contacted their families in Malaysia," he said when contacted by Bernama here today.
According to news reports, the death toll from the earthquake had exceeded 2,000 as of today.
The earthquake hit an area between Kathmandu and the city of Pokhara in Nepal at 2.56pm Malaysian time, yesterday.

Muhamad Muqarabbin, who was supposed to depart for Kathmandu yesterday to join the expedition said they might postpone the expedition because of poor communication and access to the area.
"Families of participants also want the programme to be cancelled due to security reasons. We are waiting for further development from the programme's organiser in Nepal. A decision will be made tonight," he said, adding that his flight to Kathmandu yesterday was cancelled following the deadly earthquake.
He said the expedition was in preparation for the Tanjung Piai-Everest Tibet cycling and hiking expedition, next year.
However, efforts to contact Bernama TV journalist, Nazahiyah Mohd Hadzir, who is among the participants, failed.
Meanwhile, press secretary in the Sabah Chief Minister's Department Afieza Khan, who has family members in Kathmandu said, she was very grateful to be able to contact them via WhatsApp today.
"Thank GOD my family is safe. They will be returning to (Kota Kinabalu) this Wednesday, God willing. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers," she told Bernama.
Afieza said her father, Gulam Khan and mother, Aishah Abdullah were visiting her sister, Serena and her brother-in-law, Ismael Toorawa, who is attached to the United Nations Development Programme in Nepal. – Bernama