Australian families seek news of loved ones amid Nepal-Tibet flood communications blackout
Families of 39 Australians still missing after deadly floods in Nepal and Tibet are pleading for any information as a communications blackout hampers contact.
Torrential floods across the Nepal-Tibet border have claimed at least 392 lives and left 1,468 people missing, among them 39 Australians who were on pilgrimages in the Langtang Valley. Families, such as those of Reshma Patel from Rankin Park and Kanagamah Sundrasan from Queensland, have issued urgent pleas for any information, citing a communications blackout that has cut off contact with the affected area. The Isha Foundation’s founder, Sadhguru, confirmed that three of its Kailash Sojourn groups were caught in the disaster, with one building at the border immigration checkpoint destroyed.
Tour operator Himalayan Glacier disclosed that a group of 47 travelers, including 15 Australians, vanished around 8.30 am local time, and they await further updates from Nepali authorities. Australian Nepali community groups in Melbourne and Sydney have organized vigils to support the missing and their families while rescue teams continue searching the devastated region.
Why it matters
Hundreds are dead and dozens of Australians remain missing, leaving families desperate for information and prompting international rescue efforts.
How this story developed
- Aug 26 Flash flood devastates Himalayan villages, killing at least eight in Nepal and sparking cross-border rescue efforts
- Aug 26 Three American citizens have been confirmed missing in the flood’s aftermath.
- Aug 26 Australian officials began confirming the status of Australians reported missing in the floods.
- Aug 27 A sudden glacial-lake outburst flood in the Nepal-Tibet border region has killed over 270 people and left more than 1,500 missing, including hundreds of foreign tourists.
- Aug 27 Death toll rises to at least 157 in Nepal and three in Tibet, with 826 people missing in Nepal and 558 missing in Tibet.
- Aug 27 The United Nations pledged $2 million for relief efforts.
- Aug 27 The US Department of State said 90 Americans were unaccounted for in China and Nepal and it was not aware of any US deaths.
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