Rising Toll of Missing Australians in Nepal Floods Prompts Government Response > 월드뉴스

The number of Australians reported missing in the catastrophic flooding disaster in Nepal has increased to 41, following the confirmation that three additional Australians were unaccounted for overnight. The Australian government's Department of Foreign Affairs is actively working with local authorities to locate Australian woman Cara Severino, 25, who is the first confirmed Australian to have made contact with her family since the disaster. Severino informed her parents that she was hiking away from the affected area towards Kathmandu with a group of Nepali hikers, covering a distance of over 110 kilometers.

The Red Cross has reported approximately 600 fatalities and estimates that as many as 93,000 individuals may have been impacted by the flash floods that occurred on the Nepal-Tibet border. Nepal's disaster management agency has indicated that there are currently 1,924 people unaccounted for, including 517 foreign tourists. As of Friday evening, 121 foreigners had been rescued, but none were Australians.

Families of the missing have gathered outside hospitals in Kathmandu, anxiously displaying posters of their loved ones. Australian charities are mobilizing to provide aid, with the Emergency Action Alliance working to raise funds for emergency shelters, food, safe drinking water, hygiene supplies, and medical care. However, challenging conditions and the threat of further flooding complicate rescue efforts.

Rescue operations in Nepal and China resumed on Saturday morning after being temporarily halted due to safety concerns. Four officers from the Department of Foreign Affairs crisis response teams are expected to arrive in Kathmandu to assist with consular efforts, along with four humanitarian response specialists. This deployment adds to the existing personnel from the Australian Embassy in Kathmandu. Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong has communicated with Nepali Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal to confirm Australia’s commitment to providing further humanitarian assistance, including support for rescue and recovery operations, with a total pledge of $5 million in aid.