Five Australians make contact, 38 unaccounted for as Nepal flood rescue operation continues

Four Australians feared missing in the devastating floods on the Nepal-Tibet border have been accounted for overnight, bringing the total number of contacted citizens to five since Tuesday morning.

Search and rescue operations are continuing in the region, with 38 Australians still unaccounted for, and the total death toll from the disaster surpassing 1000.

Of the five citizens confirmed safe, one was in Nepal, one in Tibet, and three were outside the disaster zone. They join 26-year-old Cara Severino who was identified by consular officials on Saturday after contacting her parents on Friday.

Communications with those in the disaster zone remains incredibly difficult, Minister for Multicultural Affairs Anne Aly said on Wednesday, as she confirmed that the five Australians contacted since Tuesday morning had previously been unable to communicate with their families.

“There are real logistic issues, including communications to find out where people are,” Aly told ABC TV.

“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.”

By Tuesday evening, the death toll in Nepal had reached 1050, with around 4000 people still missing, including nearly 600 foreigners from 39 countries. Chinese authorities on Sunday said that 16 people had died and 546 were missing in Tibet’s Gyirong County. Rescuers are struggling to reach some of the worst-hit areas.

The incident was triggered after a glacial collapse unleashed floods and debris across the border region last Wednesday, with rescue teams struggling to reach isolated communities.

At least 11,993 people have been rescued so far in Nepal, with emergency crews relying on helicopters and other aircraft to reach communities cut off after floods and landslides destroyed roads and bridges.

With Bloomberg

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