Source : Perth Now news
At least 39 Australians are now among the more than 1400 people reported missing int he devastating Nepal flash flood, which has so far claimed the lives of 389 people.
Nepalese authorities have since issued another warning of more potential floods as two newly-formed lakes are at risk of rising and bursting.
“Residents of the lower banks … passengers, rescuers engaged in rescue operations, and all concerned are requested to exercise special caution and stay in safe places away from the river banks and risky areas,” the authority’s statement read.
Those in the area have been urged to seek higher ground and move away from the river beds.
Of the Australians reported missing, 15 were confirmed to be travelling with US-based tour operator Himalayan Glacier Adventures at the time the natural disaster struck.
Umesh and Krishna Sharma were part of the group – with their son Chitrak revealing his desperate attempts to contact his parents after learning of the disaster.
Speaking to 9News, Chitrak said the pair were “very excited” to embark on the tour.
“I’ve just been trying to get in contact with them … calling hospitals. I just want to find my parents. They’re all I have, really,” he told the broadcaster.
“I said bye to them, and I didn’t think it was the last time I was ever going to see them.
“I would do anything just to bring them home.”
Also in the tour group were members of the Iyer family – Sreedharan Iyer, 53, Lakshmi Sreedharan Iyer, 50, and their sons Rudra, 21, and Rishabh, 24.
Rudra and Rishabh are both medical students studying, one studying at Western Sydney University and the other at Newcastle University.
The Iyers travelled to the region with their friends, Venkataraman Balakrishnan, 53, and Chitra Venkatraman, 46.
Four members of the Muralitharan family – brothers Ashwin and Aarush Muralitharan, aged 11 and 14, and their parents Shylaja and Chandrasekaran – are on the Himalayan Glacier Adventures group list.
Chitra Venkatraman, 46, and her husband Venkatraman Balakrishnan, 52, are also unaccounted for.
Narayan Panthi, a Brisbane father-of-two, was also part of the group and remains unaccounted for.
“We tried to contact him and his family and friends over in Nepal – we haven’t got anything back,” his family friend Amrit Bhusal told 9News.
‘Immense challenge’ in search
On Friday morning, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said officials were working urgently to confirm the welfare of the missing Australians and provide assistance to those affected.
“The extraordinary scale of this disaster and the remoteness of the affected region mean immense challenges lie ahead for the response and recovery,” she said.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is deploying additional personnel to support Australians affected by the disaster.”
Speaking to ABC Radio National, Senator Wong said it was an “awful disaster” and authorities were working to identify how many Australians were in the region at the time.
She said a further four Australians remain unaccounted for, bringing the total to 39.
“Yesterday we knew of 35 (missing Australians), we know an additional four were travelling separately to these tours,” she said.
“We have been contacting families of the unaccounted for.”
DFAT personnel have been deployed to the region and are assisting with crisis response.
There are currently 5400 members of the Nepali Army taking part in the rescue and providing medical assistance to the more than 900 people injured.
The Indian air force has been deployed to assist with the provision of supplies and rescuing survivors.
Senator Wong said Australia would be deploying further assistance to the region to assist the families of those unaccounted for.
“It’s a very difficult situation, it’s a remote location,” she said.
“We’ve deployed additional staff … we will have a further four officers in the next 24 hours, and we are deploying an additional team of three humanitarian specialists in the coming days.”
She issued a message to the families of those affected by the disaster.
“I know this is an extremely distressing time,” she said.
“For those who have loved ones unaccounted for, our thoughts are with them.”
Horrifying scenes
Images from the air force show the plane being loaded with orange buckets, boxes, and what appears to be a generator.
The air force also said heavy transport C-17 Globemasters will be used in the efforts, as will C-130 Hercules planes, which can land and takeoff on rough, unprepared ground.
“Additional air effort by C-17 and C-130 aircraft will transport further relief supplies, with helicopters earmarked for rescue and evacuation operations,” the spokesman said on Thursday night.
