Five Australians feared missing after catastrophic flooding along the Nepal–Tibet border have been accounted for, but 38 remain unaccounted for as rescuers continue to search a devastated Himalayan region.
One of those confirmed safe was in Nepal, another was in Tibet and three were outside the disaster zone, Australia’s Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Anne Aly, said.
Ms Aly said the five had been unable to contact their families, highlighting the communications difficulties facing people trapped in isolated areas. “There are real logistic issues, including communications to find out where people are,” she told ABC television.
“But for those families that are still waiting, those 38 individuals that are unaccounted for, we understand that it’s a really concerning time, and we’ll continue to do whatever we can to try and locate those people.”
The disaster began on Wednesday, August 26, when a glacial collapse sent floodwater and debris through communities on both sides of the Nepal-China border. Roads and bridges were destroyed, leaving some of the worst-hit areas accessible only by helicopter or other aircraft.
By Tuesday evening, at least 1,050 people had died in Nepal and about 4,000 remained missing, including almost 600 foreign nationals from 39 countries. Chinese authorities said 16 people had died and 546 were missing in Gyirong County, in Tibet.
At least 11,993 people have been rescued in Nepal, although emergency teams have struggled to reach settlements cut off by landslides and damaged infrastructure. The scale of the destruction can be seen in Betrawoti, where sections of the township were submerged or swept away by floodwater on the Trishuli River.
Australia has deployed additional consular personnel to support efforts to locate its citizens, while the government has announced a $5 million humanitarian assistance package for communities affected by the flooding. Australian officials are working with Nepalese and Chinese authorities as the search operation continues. ([ministers.dfat.gov.au](https://ministers.dfat.gov.au/minister/anne-aly/media-release/australias-response-nepal-china-floods?utm_source=openai))
