Australian officials ‘working around the clock’ to check welfare of tourists missing in Nepal
The Australian government is urgently seeking information on the welfare of at least 35 Australians missing in Nepal, after a catastrophic flash flood swept through the Nepal-Tibet border region.
Assistant minister for foreign affairs, Matt Thistlethwaite, said on Thursday evening that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Dfat) was “working around the clock” to verify the status of the missing Australians. The figure is based on reports from the Nepali Tourism Board and officials on the ground.
Thistlethwaite confirmed Dfat staff were operating from the post in Kathmandu, and that the government would send a crisis response team to the affected region.
“We’re trying to make contact with those tour operators,” he said, adding that Australian officials were working with Nepali authorities to determine whether independent travellers not attached to a tour group could also be missing.
“This is the trekking season in Nepal, it’s a very popular time for people to visit in the adventure tourism industry,” he said. “It’s also a sacred Hindu site and an area of pilgrimage for people of Hindu faith.”
The minister said widespread damage to roads and telecommunications infrastructure had made it challenging to establish contact with large parts of the affected region.
“It’s only based on the information that we’re receiving from the Nepalese government, obviously a lot more will be released over the coming 24 hours.”
Nearly 1,400 people in total are missing, the majority of them tourists, authorities have said, after a catastrophic flash flood hit Nepal and Tibet, roaring down valleys and wiping out entire villages. Nepal police said 270 bodies have been found, Reuters reported.
The people missing are from a range of countries, including the United States, Canada, India and the United Kingdom.
The missing Australians include one who was travelling with Kathmandu Holiday Tours and Travel.
Chinese state media said separately that in Tibet’s Gyirong county the number of missing had risen to 558, including 260 foreign nationals.
Albanese said getting information from Nepal was “difficult” and “our thoughts are with all those who will be concerned about their loved ones today”.
He said the government was liaising with local authorities and tour operators to confirm the welfare of Australians in Nepal.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to those affected by the significant flooding in Nepal and Tibet, China,” he said in a statement.
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said additional personnel from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Dfat) were being deployed to the region, including crisis response experts.
“There are many Australians who are concerned about friends or family who may be in the region … all Australians are thinking of you at this time,” Wong said. “This is a worrying situation for you all.
“We are also thinking of the people of Nepal and China and the diaspora communities in Australia. This is a very distressing time for those community members.”
Wong said she would not confirm details of the missing Australians until the government had engaged with their next of kin, but acknowledged many tourists travel to the region for trekking opportunities and spiritual reasons.
Nepal’s embassy in Canberra has also requested urgent assistance.
“We are reaching out to the Australian government and hopefully they will provide assistance to us. We are in communication with them,” said the embassy’s second secretary, Saroj Paneru.
Paneru said the government would be seeking financial assistance, but also technical support as it searches for missing people.
He said the embassy was still trying to verify the number of Australians who were missing in the region affected by flash flooding.
“The tourism industry in Nepal is working to collect information about anyone who was in the affected area,” he said.
“Once we have that data and all the details have been received, we will communicate all of this to the Australian government and the embassy in Kathmandu.”
Australians in the region have been urged to follow the advice of local authorities.
Australians in need of emergency consular assistance should contact the consular emergency centre, she said.
A Dfat spokesperson said: “We extend our deepest sympathies to those affected by the significant flooding in Nepal and Tibet, China.”
Earlier, Australia’s ambassador to Nepal, Simon Ernst, had said he was “deeply saddened” by the disaster.
A joint statement issued by the embassies of Australia, Finland, France, Norway, Switzerland and the UK in Nepal, posted on social media overnight by Ernst, said: “We are deeply saddened by the devastating flooding in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts and surrounding areas.
“Our thoughts are with all those affected by this disaster. We express our solidarity with the people of Nepal during this difficult time.
“We encourage all those in affected areas to follow the guidance of local authorities and official safety advisories as the situation continues to evolve.”
Thistlethwaite said the government was consulting the ADF to determine “how long it would take then to stand up a team to be ready”.
“We need to wait and see what the situation is on the ground there first before we can send in any infrastructure… But we’re ready to assist in any way that we can,” he said.
The minister advised anyone who is is aware of an Australian who travelled to the flood-affected region to contact Dfat.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗
Dfat minister Matt Thistlethwaite says staff are liaising with Kathmandu to find 35 missing Australians, and plans to send emergency team to the region. Get our breaking news…
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The Australian government is urgently seeking information on the welfare of at least 35 Australians missing in Nepal, after a catastrophic flash flood swept through the Nepal-Tibet border region.
Assistant minister for foreign affairs, Matt Thistlethwaite, said on Thursday evening that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Dfat) was “working around the clock” to verify the status of the missing Australians. The figure is based on reports from the Nepali Tourism Board and officials on the ground.
Thistlethwaite confirmed Dfat staff were operating from the post in Kathmandu, and that the government would send a crisis response team to the affected region.
“We’re trying to make contact with those tour operators,” he said, adding that Australian officials were working with Nepali authorities to determine whether independent travellers not attached to a tour group could also be missing.
“This is the trekking season in Nepal, it’s a very popular time for people to visit in the adventure tourism industry,” he said. “It’s also a sacred Hindu site and an area of pilgrimage for people of Hindu faith.”
The minister said widespread damage to roads and telecommunications infrastructure had made it challenging to establish contact with large parts of the affected region.
“It’s only based on the information that we’re receiving from the Nepalese government, obviously a lot more will be released over the coming 24 hours.”
Nearly 1,400 people in total are missing, the majority of them tourists, authorities have said, after a catastrophic flash flood hit Nepal and Tibet, roaring down valleys and wiping out entire villages. Nepal police said 270 bodies have been found, Reuters reported.
The people missing are from a range of countries, including the United States, Canada, India and the United Kingdom.
The missing Australians include one who was travelling with Kathmandu Holiday Tours and Travel.
Chinese state media said separately that in Tibet’s Gyirong county the number of missing had risen to 558, including 260 foreign nationals.
Albanese said getting information from Nepal was “difficult” and “our thoughts are with all those who will be concerned about their loved ones today”.
He said the government was liaising with local authorities and tour operators to confirm the welfare of Australians in Nepal.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to those affected by the significant flooding in Nepal and Tibet, China,” he said in a statement.
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said additional personnel from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Dfat) were being deployed to the region, including crisis response experts.
“There are many Australians who are concerned about friends or family who may be in the region … all Australians are thinking of you at this time,” Wong said. “This is a worrying situation for you all.
“We are also thinking of the people of Nepal and China and the diaspora communities in Australia. This is a very distressing time for those community members.”
Wong said she would not confirm details of the missing Australians until the government had engaged with their next of kin, but acknowledged many tourists travel to the region for trekking opportunities and spiritual reasons.
Nepal’s embassy in Canberra has also requested urgent assistance.
“We are reaching out to the Australian government and hopefully they will provide assistance to us. We are in communication with them,” said the embassy’s second secretary, Saroj Paneru.
Paneru said the government would be seeking financial assistance, but also technical support as it searches for missing people.
He said the embassy was still trying to verify the number of Australians who were missing in the region affected by flash flooding.
“The tourism industry in Nepal is working to collect information about anyone who was in the affected area,” he said.
“Once we have that data and all the details have been received, we will communicate all of this to the Australian government and the embassy in Kathmandu.”
Australians in the region have been urged to follow the advice of local authorities.
Australians in need of emergency consular assistance should contact the consular emergency centre, she said.
A Dfat spokesperson said: “We extend our deepest sympathies to those affected by the significant flooding in Nepal and Tibet, China.”
Earlier, Australia’s ambassador to Nepal, Simon Ernst, had said he was “deeply saddened” by the disaster.
A joint statement issued by the embassies of Australia, Finland, France, Norway, Switzerland and the UK in Nepal, posted on social media overnight by Ernst, said: “We are deeply saddened by the devastating flooding in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts and surrounding areas.
“Our thoughts are with all those affected by this disaster. We express our solidarity with the people of Nepal during this difficult time.
“We encourage all those in affected areas to follow the guidance of local authorities and official safety advisories as the situation continues to evolve.”
Thistlethwaite said the government was consulting the ADF to determine “how long it would take then to stand up a team to be ready”.
“We need to wait and see what the situation is on the ground there first before we can send in any infrastructure… But we’re ready to assist in any way that we can,” he said.
The minister advised anyone who is is aware of an Australian who travelled to the flood-affected region to contact Dfat.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗
The Australian government is urgently seeking information on the welfare of at least 35 Australians missing in Nepal, after a catastrophic flash flood swept through the Nepal-Tibet border region.
Assistant minister for foreign affairs, Matt Thistlethwaite, said on Thursday evening that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Dfat) was “working around the clock” to verify the status of the missing Australians. The figure is based on reports from the Nepali Tourism Board and officials on the ground.
Thistlethwaite confirmed Dfat staff were operating from the post in Kathmandu, and that the government would send a crisis response team to the affected region.
“We’re trying to make contact with those tour operators,” he said, adding that Australian officials were working with Nepali authorities to determine whether independent travellers not attached to a tour group could also be missing.
“This is the trekking season in Nepal, it’s a very popular time for people to visit in the adventure tourism industry,” he said. “It’s also a sacred Hindu site and an area of pilgrimage for people of Hindu faith.”
The minister said widespread damage to roads and telecommunications infrastructure had made it challenging to establish contact with large parts of the affected region.
“It’s only based on the information that we’re receiving from the Nepalese government, obviously a lot more will be released over the coming 24 hours.”
Nearly 1,400 people in total are missing, the majority of them tourists, authorities have said, after a catastrophic flash flood hit Nepal and Tibet, roaring down valleys and wiping out entire villages. Nepal police said 270 bodies have been found, Reuters reported.
The people missing are from a range of countries, including the United States, Canada, India and the United Kingdom.
The missing Australians include one who was travelling with Kathmandu Holiday Tours and Travel.
Chinese state media said separately that in Tibet’s Gyirong county the number of missing had risen to 558, including 260 foreign nationals.
Albanese said getting information from Nepal was “difficult” and “our thoughts are with all those who will be concerned about their loved ones today”.
He said the government was liaising with local authorities and tour operators to confirm the welfare of Australians in Nepal.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to those affected by the significant flooding in Nepal and Tibet, China,” he said in a statement.
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said additional personnel from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Dfat) were being deployed to the region, including crisis response experts.
“There are many Australians who are concerned about friends or family who may be in the region … all Australians are thinking of you at this time,” Wong said. “This is a worrying situation for you all.
“We are also thinking of the people of Nepal and China and the diaspora communities in Australia. This is a very distressing time for those community members.”
Wong said she would not confirm details of the missing Australians until the government had engaged with their next of kin, but acknowledged many tourists travel to the region for trekking opportunities and spiritual reasons.
Nepal’s embassy in Canberra has also requested urgent assistance.
“We are reaching out to the Australian government and hopefully they will provide assistance to us. We are in communication with them,” said the embassy’s second secretary, Saroj Paneru.
Paneru said the government would be seeking financial assistance, but also technical support as it searches for missing people.
He said the embassy was still trying to verify the number of Australians who were missing in the region affected by flash flooding.
“The tourism industry in Nepal is working to collect information about anyone who was in the affected area,” he said.
“Once we have that data and all the details have been received, we will communicate all of this to the Australian government and the embassy in Kathmandu.”
Australians in the region have been urged to follow the advice of local authorities.
Australians in need of emergency consular assistance should contact the consular emergency centre, she said.
A Dfat spokesperson said: “We extend our deepest sympathies to those affected by the significant flooding in Nepal and Tibet, China.”
Earlier, Australia’s ambassador to Nepal, Simon Ernst, had said he was “deeply saddened” by the disaster.
A joint statement issued by the embassies of Australia, Finland, France, Norway, Switzerland and the UK in Nepal, posted on social media overnight by Ernst, said: “We are deeply saddened by the devastating flooding in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts and surrounding areas.
“Our thoughts are with all those affected by this disaster. We express our solidarity with the people of Nepal during this difficult time.
“We encourage all those in affected areas to follow the guidance of local authorities and official safety advisories as the situation continues to evolve.”
Thistlethwaite said the government was consulting the ADF to determine “how long it would take then to stand up a team to be ready”.
“We need to wait and see what the situation is on the ground there first before we can send in any infrastructure… But we’re ready to assist in any way that we can,” he said.
The minister advised anyone who is is aware of an Australian who travelled to the flood-affected region to contact Dfat.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗
This lens runs the verified story through Cinnamon's AI — wired in the next step.
- Dfat minister Matt Thistlethwaite says staff are liaising with Kathmandu to find 35 missing Australians, and plans to send emergency team to the region.
- Get our breaking news…