An Australian hiker, Cara Severino, 26, has confirmed she is alive after being caught in the deadly floods that swept through Nepal. Severino, from Wollongong, was on a multi-day trek on the Langtang trail when the disaster struck, leaving her stranded at Kyangjia Gompa.
She was able to make brief contact with her parents on Friday morning, who stated she had reached Gosainkunda along with other Nepalese hikers and they were attempting to reach Kathmandu on foot. "We praise God that she has been able to make this brief contact with us," her parents said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with all the families awaiting news."
IMAGE3
The floods were triggered by an ice avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border earlier in the week. Nepalese police have reported a death toll of 477, with over 1,300 people from various countries still unaccounted for.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed on Friday that the number of Australians missing had risen to 39, including Ms. Severino. "Obviously, it's a very difficult situation. It's a remote location," Wong told ABC Radio National. "So we are urgently working to identify how many Australians are in, or have been in, the region, and to confirm the welfare of any Australians who are not accounted for."
IMAGE7
Officials from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have been deployed to the region to aid in recovery and identification efforts. "The extraordinary scale of this disaster and the remoteness of the affected region mean immense challenges lie ahead for the response and recovery," Wong added.
Among the missing are 15 Australians who were part of a tour group with Himalayan Glacier Adventures. The group included Umesh and Krishna Sharma, whose son Chitrak is desperately trying to locate them. "I would do anything just to bring them home," he told 9News.
The Iyer family from Sydney's north-west, Sridharan Iyer, Roopa Sridhar, Rudhra Sreedharan Iyer, and Rishabh Sridharan Iyer, are also unaccounted for, as are fellow Sydneysiders Chandrasekaran and Shylaja Muralitharan, and their young sons Ashwin and Aarush.
IMAGE11
IMAGE9
Sagar Pandey, founder of Himalayan Glacier Trekking, confirmed losing contact with the group of 47, which included the 15 Australians, in the Rasuwa area.
Also reported missing are NSW couple Venkatraman Balakrishnan, 52, and his wife Chitra Venkatraman, 46, and Queensland business owner Kanagamah Sundrasan. Many of the missing Australians were on pilgrimages to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred site for several religions.
IMAGE2
IMAGE4
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade advises Australians to exercise a high degree of caution in the region due to flash flooding and mudslides. Those needing urgent assistance can contact DFAT's 24-hour consular emergency centre.