At least 42 Australians remain unaccounted for after catastrophic flooding along the Nepal-China border, as authorities warned of further flooding and raised the confirmed death toll across the region to more than 800.
Nepal’s disaster agency said on Sunday that 788 people had died and 2,502 remained missing. Chinese authorities reported a further 16 deaths and 546 missing on the Tibetan side of the border.
The disaster struck on Wednesday after a sudden surge in the Bhote Koshi River swept through communities, roads and infrastructure in northern Nepal. Hundreds of people from more than a dozen countries are among those still missing, including tourists, workers and pilgrims.
Australia’s Assistant Foreign Minister, Matt Thistlethwaite, said the number of missing Australians had risen to 42, based on information from the Nepal Tourism Board and Australian officials in the country.
He said consular staff were working “around the clock” to locate those unaccounted for. One Australian woman, Cara Severino, has been found and is now safe at the Australian Embassy in Kathmandu.
The Australian Government has announced a further $3 million in humanitarian assistance, taking its support for the response and recovery effort to $8 million. The additional aid includes funding for emergency supplies and assistance to be delivered by the Australian Defence Force.
Nepalese authorities sent flood warnings to mobile phones in affected districts early on Sunday after water levels rose in the Bhote Koshi. Residents were urged to remain on high alert and move to safer ground if conditions deteriorated.
Rescue crews were also working to clear a major highway linking Kathmandu with Rasuwa, one of the areas worst hit by the flooding. The route has been blocked by debris and damage caused by the disaster, hampering efforts to reach isolated communities.
Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has established an emergency response team to coordinate searches, verify information and provide consular assistance to foreign nationals affected by the floods.
