Townsville Mother and Sydney Father Among Australians Missing in Nepal

Renee Spry was about 10 minutes from the Nepal-Tibet border crossing when flash flooding struck. The Townsville mother of two had completed a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and was travelling home when contact was lost.

Her sister, Clair Spry, said the disability support worker remained missing after the disaster. Spry’s husband is trying to travel to Nepal to help with the search. She is among 43 Australians unaccounted for in the region.

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Our beloved sister Renee is still missing from the Tibet-Nepal border after the devastating events from this week

Sydney IT worker Gopi Krishna Naidu Agastya is also missing. The 45-year-old father of two was at an immigration building at the Gyirong border crossing when the flood hit, according to his friend Pavan Kurucheti. Agastya had travelled with the Isha Foundation, which facilitates pilgrimages to the sacred region.

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We continue to pray for her, the Nepalese people and those also still yet to return to the safety of their homes and families

Many of the missing Australians were pilgrims travelling from Nepal into Tibet to visit Mount Kailash, a site revered by four religions. Agastya’s family and friends are waiting for news and have urged anyone with information to come forward.

The disaster has also affected Nepalis living in Australia. Madhu Banthee, who lives in Santa Teresa south-east of Alice Springs, said four or five families in the region had been affected. More than 250 people attended a vigil in Alice Springs, where families lit candles and prayed for Nepal. Banthee said he had not heard from his best friend, who was alive two hours before the flood.

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He was alive just two hours before the flood … we didn't hear any messages after that flood