SHAH ALAM: An 11-member Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (Smart) has departed for Nepal today to assist in a humanitarian mission following devastating floods that hit the country.

The team departed from the Subang Air Base at about 9am aboard a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) A400M aircraft, carrying various equipment, including communications gear.

Smart mission commander Commander Abdul Manaf Che Isa said the team would travel to Kathmandu before awaiting further instructions to proceed to locations designated by the Nepalese authorities.

"Smart has a very clear mission, which is humanitarian in nature. We have also brought specialised equipment in preparation for rescue operations in tunnels, including communications equipment.

Earlier, media reports said the government had decided to deploy Smart to Nepal to assist in search and rescue (SAR) operations following the massive floods that struck the country on Aug 26.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was reported to have said the National Security Council (NSC) and National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma), in collaboration with the Foreign Ministry, had been tasked with coordinating with the Nepalese government to enable the team to be deployed as soon as possible.