Up to 15 Australians feared dead after Nepal flash floods, including children
A Nepali trekking company operator fears all 15 Australians in his 47-person tour group, including children, have died in devastating flash floods in the Rasuwa valley. Australia's foreign minister has confirmed at least 34 Australians are unaccounted for overall.
The founder of Nepali trekking company Himalayan Glacier Trekking, Sagar Pandey, says he fears the worst for the 15 Australians among a 47-person tour group he lost contact with after flash floods devastated the Rasuwa area.
The missing Australians range in age from 11 to 64, and the group is believed to include two families of four from New South Wales.
After flying over the region by helicopter, Pandey said the destruction was so complete it looked as though no human settlement had ever existed there — the floodwaters swept away every trace of construction. He estimated the chance of survivors being found was around one percent.
Pandey, who also heads the Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal, has been coordinating with other local operators who similarly lost contact with their guides in the area, some of whom were also running tours for Australian travellers.
The group had driven roughly seven hours from Kathmandu to reach the valley and was due to head toward the Chinese border around 8.30am on the day the flood hit. During his helicopter flight, Pandey spotted around 100 people on higher ground, believed to be locals who managed to escape in time.
Among the missing Australians are separate families from Sydney's north-western suburbs who had been travelling together.
Foreign minister Penny Wong said the figures currently available come from tour operators, with at least 34 Australians unaccounted for so far, though authorities continue working to confirm whether additional people are missing.
Separately, Kathmandu Holiday Tours and Travels reported one missing Australian client. The Trekkers' Society has also stated that 92 travellers, including 77 foreign nationals, are missing, though it has not specified whether Australians are among them.
