A family of four from north-west Sydney, Chandrasekaran and Shylaja Muralitharan and their sons Ashwin and Aarush, has been identified among Australians missing after catastrophic floods in central Nepal. They were reportedly travelling on a pilgrimage tour towards Mount Kailash, a sacred site for several religions, after preparing for the trek by hiking near their home; the disaster has left Sydney’s Hindu community deeply concerned.

The floods were triggered by a landslide and glacial collapse on Wednesday, causing destructive flooding along the Trishuli River. Nepal Police confirmed 359 deaths, while more than 800 people remained missing in Nepal and over 550 in Tibet; Australian authorities said at least 34 Australians were unaccounted for, although Nepalese authorities put the figure at 35. Most missing Australians were travelling with organised tour groups, and rescue operations have been hampered by continuing floods and difficulty landing helicopters.