The number of Australians unaccounted for following the Nepal-Tibet flood disaster has risen to 43 as families call for greater cooperation between Australian, Nepali and Chinese authorities in the search for missing pilgrims.
Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Matt Thistlethwaite confirmed the revised figure on Monday morning, saying six Australians were believed to be missing on the Tibetan side of the border, based on information provided by the Chinese Embassy.
The update came after a federal government statement issued on Sunday said 42 Australians remained unaccounted for. The difference reflects another case being added as officials continue establishing who was travelling through the remote border region when the floods struck.
No Australian deaths have been publicly confirmed.
Many of those missing were returning from pilgrimages to Mount Kailash when a wall of water, ice, rocks and debris swept through the Gyirong border crossing and settlements along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems on Wednesday.
An Isha Foundation group of about 80 pilgrims, including 11 Australians, had arrived at the Gyirong immigration post shortly before the disaster. A group leader sent a message at 9.05am Nepal time confirming their arrival. About 10 minutes later, floodwaters struck the valley.
The immigration complex was washed away, but it remains unclear how many members of the group had crossed from Tibet into Nepal before the disaster.
The border has complicated the search, with families saying information from the Chinese side has been limited. Chinese state media reported that six Australians were among more than 260 foreign nationals unaccounted for in Tibet.
Bhavin Patel, whose wife Reshma Patel was travelling with the Isha Foundation group, has flown from New South Wales to Nepal to join the search. He said phone data indicated his wife’s device connected to a signal in Tibet after the flood.
“I just want some help to bring Reshma back home,” Patel told the ABC.
He said the family was prepared to share the phone information with search teams and called for closer coordination between the three countries.
“The Chinese government has got their own technology, so we try to get something from there, but we’re not able to get anything from there”
“We are ready to share the phone data,” he said. “The Chinese government has got their own technology, so we try to get something from there, but we’re not able to get anything from there.”
Brisbane father and Royal Australian Air Force member Karan Bhardwaj, 40, also remains missing. He was travelling with friends Arpan Mithalal Kothari and Bhavinkumar Raval as part of a Kailash Journeys group.
“Karan is an Australian, a proud member of the Australian Defence Force and a beloved father of one, brother, uncle, brother-in-law and friend to many,” his family told Channel 7.
The three men were near the Nepal-Tibet border when contact was lost.
Other Australians unaccounted for include Sydney couple Shylaja and Chandrasekaran Muralitharan and their sons Ashwin, 14, and Aarush, 11, as well as members of the Iyer family and pilgrims Sumi Adhikari, Renee Spry and Michael Keats.
Families of several missing Australians have travelled to Nepal, where some are visiting hospitals, military camps and rescue coordination centres seeking information.
Cara Severino remains the only publicly identified Australian initially reported missing who has since been safely located
Cara Severino remains the only publicly identified Australian initially reported missing who has since been safely located.
Australian consular officials reached the 26-year-old NSW hiker on Saturday after travelling by four-wheel-drive from Kathmandu to an accessible checkpoint on her trekking route. She had been stranded in the Langtang region and escaped with the help of Nepali hikers.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong described Severino’s rescue as a rare piece of positive news amid the loss and uncertainty surrounding the disaster.
The Australian government has announced a further $3 million in humanitarian support for Nepal, taking its total commitment to $8 million.
The additional package includes $2 million for hygiene kits, solar lighting and other emergency supplies requested by the Nepali government. The Australian Defence Force will deliver the assistance, with the RAAF expected to transport the first supplies from Queensland in the coming days.
A further $1 million will be provided to the Emergency Action Alliance appeal, bringing the government’s contribution to the joint charity effort to $2 million. The alliance has separately received $1.4 million in public donations.
There are now 12 Australian response personnel in Kathmandu, including crisis-response officers, consular staff and Australian Federal Police members, in addition to embassy staff already stationed in Nepal.
The government said damaged roads and bridges, unstable terrain and the isolation of affected communities were hampering rescue and relief operations.
More than 800 people have been killed across Nepal and Tibet, while more than 3,000 remain missing, according to the latest figures reported by ABC.
Search teams are working through destroyed settlements, flood-damaged hydropower projects and mountain areas that remain accessible only by helicopter. Families have maintained hope that some of those listed as missing may have escaped into higher areas where communications remain unavailable.
The Australian government said it remained in contact with Nepal and expected to provide further assistance. Its additional humanitarian package followed the initial $5 million commitment announced last week.
Australians requiring emergency consular assistance can contact DFAT’s Consular Emergency Centre on 1300 555 135 from within Australia or +61 2 6261 3305 from overseas.
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