A significant humanitarian operation is underway in Nepal to locate at least 38 Australians who remain missing after flash floods and landslides devastated the region last week. The disaster, triggered by an ice avalanche on Wednesday, August 26, has claimed over 1,250 lives, with nearly 4,800 people still unaccounted for.
Australian authorities have confirmed the rescue of six Australians, with more aid, including specialist drone operators and disaster response teams, being dispatched to assist in the search. Foreign Minister Penny Wong expressed grave concerns for the missing, stating that these concerns deepen with each passing hour.
The Iyer family – Rudra, 20, Rishab, 23, Lakshmi, 49, and Sreedharan, 52 – were in the Syabrubesi region and are among those missing. Rudra, a medical student, reportedly texted a friend in Australia 15 minutes before the disaster, indicating they were trying to get to higher ground due to an impending landslide. While one member of their group's phone later pinged higher in the mountains, raising some hope, their whereabouts remain unknown.
Other Australian families are grappling with uncertainty as they await news. The Muralitharan family, including children Ashwin, 14, and Aarush, 11, were staying at a hotel in Timure that was destroyed. Their last known contact was a breakfast call on August 26. Similarly, Krishna Sharma, 50, and Umesh Sharma, 55, are missing, with their son Chitrak traveling to Delhi in hopes of finding information.
Couples, including Venkatraman Balakrishnan, 52, and Chitra Venkatraman, 46, and Mohapatra Sandeep, 39, and Sahu Sidharthi Kumari, 43, are also among the missing. Groups that traveled together for the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage, such as Arpan Mithilal Kothari, 40, Karan Bhardwaj, 40, and Bhavinkumar Rajnikant Raval, 41, are also being searched for.
Individuals like Sruthi Chandrasekaran, 36, Kumar Ramaswamy Sampath, 61, Bharat Mangwani, 42, and Shivaprasad Rakesh Nayaka, 39, are also unaccounted for. Reports indicate Mr. Mangwani was last known to be at the Nepal-Tibet border, while Mr. Nayaka had recently completed a climb up Mount Kailash and was at an immigration office just before the flood.
Two Brisbane women, Kanagamah Sundrasan, 60, and Suhasini Reddy Kandimalla, 44, were reportedly about a kilometer from the Gyirong Immigration Centre when communication was lost. Sumi Adhikari, 41, a mother of two, and Reshma Bhavin Patel, 46, a mother of two, are also missing, with their husbands traveling to Nepal to search for them.
Luke Costanzo, 30, from Perth, was on the final day of his tour returning to Kathmandu when the floods struck. The family of Uday Shivamurthy, 50, and Kripa Shivamurthy, 55, who were traveling with The Trekkers' Society, are receiving conflicting reports but are distressed by aerial images of the affected area. Narayan Panthi, 46, who had traveled back to Nepal for a spiritual trip to Mount Kailash, was staying at the Sonam Lodge near the Nepal-Tibet border.
Renee Spry, from Queensland and also traveling with The Trekkers' Society, was near the Nepal-Tibet border. Her sister expressed hope for her survival, describing her as a spiritual and generous disability support worker.
Australia has deployed a Royal Australian Air Force C-17A Globemaster III and is sending a 15-person disaster assistance response team, including firefighters and specialist drone operators. The Australian government continues to hold hope for the safe return of all those missing.