Most of the 38 missing Australians were on a Kailash pilgrimage when flash flood hit
A flash flood on the Nepal-Tibet border left 38 Australians missing, with tour operators saying the majority were on pilgrimages to Mount Kailash.
A catastrophic flash flood on the Nepal-Tibet border has left 38 Australians missing, according to authorities. Tour operators have confirmed that at least 32 of those Australians were on pilgrimages to Mount Kailash, a peak sacred to Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and the Tibetan Bon tradition. Pilgrims usually complete a three-day, 53-kilometre circuit around the mountain, which is believed to cleanse sins.
One Australian group, organized by Kailash Journeys, included a woman named Kanagamah Sundrasan, while another, run by Himalayan Glacier, had 15 Indian Australians, including an 11-year-old boy. Additionally, some missing Australians were traveling to Lake Gosaikunda for the Janai Purnima festival. The flood also caused widespread casualties, with one outlet's reports indicating hundreds of deaths and many more missing across the region.
Why it matters
The story highlights the risks faced by international pilgrims in remote disaster zones.
How this story developed
- Aug 26 Australian tourists among dozens missing after Nepal flash floods
- Aug 27 India has pledged humanitarian assistance to Nepal following 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 The United Nations pledged $2 million for relief efforts.
- Aug 27 Reports list at least 270 deaths in Nepal and three in Tibet, with about 90 Americans missing.
- 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.
- Aug 28 Families of 39 Australians still missing after deadly floods in Nepal and Tibet are pleading for any information as a communications blackout hampers contact.
- Aug 28 Authorities warned that the debris‑clogged river and rising water in a blocked lake could cause additional flooding downstream.
- Aug 28 Rescue operations were halted for roughly one and a half hours after the lake began to overflow.
- Aug 28 Death toll reported to have risen above 500 and missing persons count listed at about 977.
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