39 Australians Missing as Nepal–Tibet Border Flood Death Toll Reaches 469

At least 469 people have died and more than 1,000 remain missing following catastrophic flash floods and landslides along the Nepal–Tibet border. Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed that 39 Australian citizens are among those unaccounted for.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said officials were working urgently to establish the whereabouts and welfare of the missing Australians.

“The government’s priority is to confirm the whereabouts and welfare of these Australians,” Wong said, adding that the scale of the disaster across remote and difficult-to-access areas was severely complicating rescue and recovery operations.

The Australian government said three humanitarian-response specialists would be deployed to Nepal within 48 hours to work alongside Australian officials already in the country. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is also sending additional personnel to assist Australians affected by the disaster and provide consular support to their families. Reuters reported that Australia was deploying aid and additional personnel as the crisis unfolded.

Search-and-rescue operations are continuing across the worst-affected areas of Nepal. Police officers, supported by trained search dogs, are combing through thick mud and debris in an effort to recover people buried beneath collapsed buildings and landslides.

Entire villages have reportedly been wiped out by torrents of water, rocks and mud, while houses, bridges, roads and vehicles have been swept away.

According to Nepal Police, 469 bodies had been recovered, while contact could not be established with another 910 people. Among those missing were 517 foreign tourists.

China has also reported that around 100 of its citizens remain unaccounted for in Nepal. They are not believed to be included in Nepal’s list of 910 missing people.

In addition to Australians, citizens of the United States, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa and South Korea are among the missing foreign nationals. Indian citizens reportedly constitute the largest group, while the United States has said that contact has yet to be established with 90 of its nationals.

The disaster has also caused widespread destruction around the Gyirong border port in Tibet. Chinese state media reported that three people had been killed and 558 remained missing on the Tibetan side, including 260 foreign nationals. Chinese Premier Li Qiang visited the affected region on Thursday to oversee rescue and relief operations.

Preliminary assessments suggest that a glacier-related collapse may have triggered the disaster. A massive surge of ice, rocks and debris is believed to have travelled through mountain river systems, causing the sudden and destructive flooding.

Climate researchers have warned that rapidly melting and increasingly unstable glaciers could increase the risk of similar floods and landslides. The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development said water levels rose by as much as nine metres within half an hour during the disaster. ABC News reported that a glacier avalanche was believed to have triggered the flooding.

Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah visited some of the worst-affected areas on Thursday. He instructed authorities to accelerate the delivery of emergency assistance to affected families and reopen roads cut off by flooding and landslides. He also called on the country to remain united during the crisis.

La Trobe University environmental historian Ruth Gamble compared the disaster to an “inland tsunami”, saying the enormous torrent of mud and debris travelled approximately 170 kilometres south through Nepal.

Rescue teams continue to face immense challenges because of the mountainous terrain, destroyed roads and bridges, disrupted communications and the threat of further flooding. Authorities have also warned that a newly formed upstream lake could unleash another flood, further endangering communities and emergency workers. The Associated Press reported that the disaster had killed at least 469 people and left more than 1,500 missing across Nepal and Tibet.