Five Australians feared missing after the Nepal-Tibet flood disaster have been located safely, reducing the number still unaccounted for to 38 as the confirmed death toll passes 1,000.
One of the five was found in Nepal and another in China, while three were located outside the disaster zone. Their identities have not been publicly released.
Pacific Islands Minister Pat Conroy confirmed the development on Wednesday morning, saying it was welcome news for the Australians and their families.
“We still remain very concerned about those unaccounted for, but obviously having five citizens confirmed safe, which is great news for those Australians and their families, reduces the numbers of unaccounted Australians down to 38,” Conroy told ABC Radio National.
He said the 38 had not contacted their families or next of kin since the floods struck on August 26.
“We are very concerned for the safety of those 38,” he said. “We’re really focused on establishing their whereabouts and supporting their families in this very difficult time and supporting the people of Nepal in what are tragic circumstances.”
The revised figure follows days of changing official numbers as consular officials sought to establish which Australians were travelling in the border region. The number unaccounted for had reached 43 on Monday.
The revised figure follows days of changing official numbers as consular officials sought to establish which Australians were travelling in the border region. The number unaccounted for had reached 43 on Monday
Cara Severino, a 26-year-old NSW hiker, was separately located by Australian officials last weekend after escaping the isolated Langtang region with a group of Nepali hikers.
The government has not identified the five people now accounted for, meaning it remains unclear whether they belonged to the pilgrimage groups caught near the Gyirong border crossing or were travelling independently.
Many of the Australians still missing were returning from spiritual journeys to Mount Kailash when a wall of water, ice, rocks and mud struck communities along the Nepal-China border.
They include Brisbane father and Royal Australian Air Force member Karan Bhardwaj, who was travelling with friends Arpan Mithalal Kothari and Bhavinkumar Raval in a Kailash Journeys group.
Members of the Muralitharan, Iyer and Venkatraman families are also among those whose whereabouts remain unknown.
The partner of NSW outdoor education leader Michael Keats has said she believes he died in the disaster. However, the Australian government has not independently confirmed his death, and friends have urged people to rely on verified information while the identification process continues.
Rescuers are digging and drilling through tunnels filled with water, mud and debris in an attempt to reach workers feared trapped inside
Nepalese authorities have asked relatives of missing people to provide DNA samples as hospitals and mortuaries struggle with hundreds of unidentified bodies. Some Australian families have travelled to Nepal carrying hair and other samples that may assist the process.
The overall death toll across Nepal and Tibet has risen above 1,000, while more than 4,200 people remain missing or out of contact. The missing include hundreds of foreign pilgrims and tourists, as well as workers from flood-damaged hydropower projects.
Rescuers are digging and drilling through tunnels filled with water, mud and debris in an attempt to reach workers feared trapped inside. Teams have recovered bodies from some tunnels, while water entering excavation sites has forced rescuers to find alternative access points.
Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah described the disaster as “unimaginable and heartbreaking”. More than 11,000 people have been rescued, but damaged roads, collapsed bridges, continuing rain and unstable slopes have made it difficult to reach isolated communities.
Australia has deployed 18 response personnel to Kathmandu, including consular officials, crisis-response specialists and Australian Federal Police members.
A RAAF C-17A aircraft carrying humanitarian supplies has also left Australia for Kathmandu. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government would continue offering whatever assistance Nepal considered useful.
“This is an unimaginable tragedy,” Albanese said from the Pacific Islands Forum in Palau on Tuesday. “My thoughts are with every Australian family going through such an incredibly difficult time. My government will do everything we can to support them and look for loved ones.”
Australia has committed $8 million to the humanitarian response through two funding packages.
The assistance includes $2 million for hygiene kits, solar lighting and other emergency supplies requested by Nepal, as well as funding for food, shelter, medical treatment, clean water and psychological support.
Australia has offered further specialist assistance, including expertise in disaster victim identification. Conroy said Nepalese authorities had indicated that India would provide some of the teams required on the ground.
Australian public donations are also rising rapidly.
The Emergency Action Alliance’s joint Nepal Flood Disaster Appeal has raised more than $5.5 million in five days. Public donations have passed $3.5 million, while the Australian government has increased its contribution to the appeal from $1 million to $2 million.
Emergency Action Alliance executive director Kerren Morris said the response showed Australians wanted to support communities that had lost relatives, homes and livelihoods.
“In less than a week we have raised more than $5.5 million, demonstrating the very real generosity of Australians to those affected by this tragedy in Nepal,” Morris said.
“The scale of the need is immense, but every donation is providing lifesaving support to people who have lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods.”
Thirteen member charities are already responding in the affected region. The joint appeal includes Save the Children Australia, Plan International Australia, Oxfam Australia, ActionAid Australia, CARE Australia, Caritas Australia, ADRA, Act for Peace, Anglican Overseas Aid, Australian Lutheran World Service, Baptist World Aid Australia, CBM Australia and Tearfund Australia.
The charities are helping provide emergency shelter, food, safe drinking water, hygiene supplies and medical care, while local organisations lead recovery efforts in affected communities.
Morris said pooling donations through the appeal allowed Australians to support organisations with an established presence in Nepal.
“When Australians give through the Joint Appeal, they can be confident their donation is going to organisations with a genuine, longstanding presence in the region,” she said.
The appeal has received support from the ABC, SBS, commercial television and radio networks and major Australian publishers. Several broadcasters have also donated advertising time to promote it.
For the families of the 38 Australians still missing, the confirmation that five others are safe offers renewed hope. Yet the lack of contact, difficult terrain and growing number of unidentified victims mean the search is entering an increasingly painful stage.
Anyone requiring emergency consular assistance can contact DFAT’s Consular Emergency Centre on 1300 555 135 from Australia or +61 2 6261 3305 from overseas.
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