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🇸🇬 Singapore /Disasters & Emergencies

Australia: Information on 34 missing citizens in Nepal 'very limited' amid floods

From The Straits Times · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • At least 34 Australian citizens are missing in Nepal following severe floods, with information being scarce.
  • The missing individuals were part of separate pilgrimage and tour groups, including a religious tour to Mount Kailash.
  • Authorities are urgently seeking to confirm the welfare and whereabouts of the Australians amidst a large-scale disaster affecting over 1,000 people, including hundreds of foreigners.

Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed on August 27 that at least 34 Australian citizens are missing in Nepal due to devastating floods. Wong described the available information as "very limited" due to the scale of the disaster, emphasizing that access to affected areas is difficult.

We understand these Australians are part of separate pilgrimage and tour groups.

— Penny WongAustralia's Foreign Minister, confirming the status of missing Australian citizens in Nepal.

The missing Australians were reportedly part of various pilgrimage and tour groups. Himalayan Glacier, a tourism agency, confirmed that 15 of the missing Australians were on a religious tour organized by them to Mount Kailash. This group included individuals from India, the US, Canada, and Singapore, with the majority being Indian-Australians.

At this stage, access and information are very limited given the scale of disaster... we are urgently seeking to confirm the welfare and whereabouts of Australians.

— Penny WongAustralia's Foreign Minister, describing the challenges in gathering information about missing citizens.

Sagar Pandey, the chief executive of Himalayan Glacier, expressed grave concern after surveying the flood zone by helicopter. He stated that the landscape has been flattened, with no human settlements remaining, and estimated only a "1% chance" of survival for those missing. The tour was intended to visit Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar, considered holy sites.

They were on a pilgrimage. They were planning to enter to the China Tibet and go to the Mount Kailash and (Lake) Manasarovar, which is one of the holiest landmarks on earth.

— Sagar PandeyChief executive of Himalayan Glacier, detailing the itinerary of the missing Australian group.

Overall, over 1,000 people, including at least 600 foreigners, are reported missing across Nepal and China's Tibet region. The catastrophic floods were triggered by a massive mud and rockslide that collapsed into a Himalayan river, causing widespread devastation through towns and valleys. Australian authorities are urgently working to ascertain the welfare and location of their citizens amidst this large-scale emergency.

There are no human-made things, no human settlement left. Everything is just flat... I believe that everybody is gone.

— Sagar PandeyChief executive of Himalayan Glacier, expressing grim assessment of the flood zone.
About this summary

Originally published by The Straits Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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