- Search operations continue in northern Nepal and Tibet for thousands missing after floods and landslides destroyed vital infrastructure and roads.
- Official reports list between 35 and 43 Australians missing, with communication failures hindering accurate tracking across the disaster zones.
- Difficult terrain and destroyed bridges hamper rescue teams working to locate foreign tourists and pilgrims stranded in isolated mountain locations.
- While one Australian death is confirmed, search teams hope other missing travellers are stranded in unreachable areas as rescue efforts intensify.
Kathmandu: Search and rescue operations are continuing in flood- and landslide-affected areas of northern Nepal as authorities work to locate thousands of people still unaccounted for, including dozens of foreign nationals.
According to records maintained by Nepal’s Interpol agency, 35 Australian nationals had been reported missing in Nepal as of 10:00 am on August 31. The figure differs from the Australian government’s count of 43 Australians reported missing in the broader disaster. Australian authorities have said their figure includes six people reported missing in Tibet, while the Nepalese count relates to those reported missing within Nepal.
The discrepancy highlights the difficulty of establishing a definitive list of missing people nearly a week after the disaster, as communication links were disrupted and many travellers were moving between Nepal and Tibet.
The worst-affected areas include Rasuwa district in Nepal and the Gyirong border area in Tibet, where powerful floods and landslides destroyed roads, bridges, buildings and other infrastructure.
Search operations face difficult terrain
Nepalese security agencies have continued search and rescue operations across the affected districts, while authorities are also working to identify bodies recovered downstream.
The scale of the disaster has made it difficult to establish the whereabouts of many people. Nepalese authorities have reported that hundreds of foreign nationals were among those missing in the early stages of the disaster, with people from several countries unaccounted for.
The disaster has also affected major hydropower projects and communities along the Trishuli River and other waterways. Thousands of Nepali citizens and foreign nationals have either been rescued or remain unaccounted for, according to authorities and agencies involved in the response.
In the border area, access remains particularly difficult because roads and bridges were swept away and large quantities of mud and debris have covered parts of the terrain.
Chinese rescue teams have reached the Gyirong area from the Tibet side, while efforts are continuing to reopen damaged road links. The destruction around the border crossing has complicated communication and the movement of heavy rescue equipment.
Australians among missing foreign nationals
The missing Australians are understood to include tourists and pilgrims who had travelled in groups towards the Nepal-China border and the Mount Kailash region.
Earlier information from the Nepal Tourism Board put the number of missing Australians at 35, alongside hundreds of other foreign nationals from countries including India, the United States, Ukraine, Malaysia and the United Kingdom.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade subsequently increased its broader figure to 43. Australian officials have said they are continuing to work with Nepalese and Chinese authorities to establish the whereabouts of those who remain unaccounted for.
At least one Australian, Michael Keats, has been reported dead, while Australian authorities continue efforts to verify the status of others reported missing. Another Australian, Cara Severino, has been reported rescued.
Families waiting for information
Families of missing Australians have travelled to Kathmandu as they seek information about their relatives. Some have been communicating through social media and messaging groups while waiting for official updates.
The restoration of some telephone connectivity in the affected area raised hopes among families that contact might be established with missing travellers. However, no confirmed contact with many of those reported missing has been established.
Tour operators involved in organising pilgrimages and trekking trips have also been assisting authorities and families in identifying travellers and checking hospitals and other possible locations.
Authorities caution against premature conclusions
Although the passage of several days has increased concerns for those still missing, search officials and disaster experts have cautioned against assuming that every missing person has died.
The possibility remains that some people may have been swept downstream, taken shelter in isolated locations or become stranded in areas that rescuers have not yet been able to reach.
At the same time, the continuing danger of landslides, unstable ground, heavy rain and renewed flooding is making the search increasingly difficult and dangerous for rescue personnel.
Nepalese authorities have deployed large numbers of security personnel and emergency workers in the affected areas. Search teams are continuing to recover bodies, locate missing people and provide assistance to survivors.
Wider disaster
The search for missing foreign nationals is only one part of a much larger humanitarian emergency.
Nepal has reported hundreds of deaths and thousands of missing people following the catastrophic flooding, while large sections of roads, bridges, hydropower facilities, homes and public infrastructure have been damaged or destroyed. The government has sought international technical and humanitarian assistance as rescue and recovery operations continue.
The disaster has also affected communities on the Chinese side of the border, where hundreds of people have been reported missing.
With access to some of the hardest-hit areas still limited, authorities face the difficult task of determining the final number of deaths and missing people.
For the families of those still unaccounted for, the search remains ongoing, with authorities continuing efforts to establish what happened to those caught in the devastating floods.
