KUALA LUMPUR: Kedah Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) director Lt Col Awang Askandar Ampuan Yaacub died while on a climbing mission of Mt Everest.

APM chief commissioner Aminurrahim Mohamed confirmed this after receiving notification from the chef de mission of the climbing mission Tan Sri Dr Salleh Mohd Nor.

“May Allah reward his good deeds, grant him the highest level of blessings... and may he be placed among the righteous,” Aminurrahim said in a brief statement tonight.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir confirmed having received news of the death of the Kedah APM director.

“Our Malawakil (representative) in Kathmandu has informed us about the incident.

“I’ve instructed our Malawakil to monitor closely the process of bringing down the body to the Base Camp as the first step of the operation,” he said in a short statement tonight. -Bernama