Sydney family of four missing after Nepal floods during pilgrimage
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
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.
- Sydney family of four missing after Nepal floods.
- At least 34 Australians remain unaccounted for.
- Rescue efforts continue amid severe flooding.
Full account
A Sydney family of four is among Australians still unaccounted for after devastating flooding in central Nepal disrupted pilgrimage tours near the Tibet border. Chandrasekaran and Shylaja Muralitharan, and their sons Ashwin and Aarush, had travelled with the US-based operator Himalayan Glacier Trekking. The boys, reported to be 11 and 14, are believed to be the youngest Australians missing in the disaster.
The family, from north-west Sydney, had reportedly spent weeks preparing for the journey by hiking locally. Their neighbour, Sam Ghosh, said they were highly regarded in the community and that Sydney’s Hindu community was distressed by the number of people affected. The Muralitharans were among travellers heading towards Mount Kailash, a destination revered by Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and followers of Bon.
Another NSW family on the same tour has been named as Sridharan Iyer, Roopa Sridhar, Rudhra Sreedharan Iyer and Rishabh Sridharan Iyer. Other Australians missing include NSW couple Venkatraman Balakrishnan and Chitra Venkatraman, and Queensland business owner and mother-of-two Kanagamah Sundrasan. Their relatives said they had struggled to obtain reliable information after contact stopped shortly before or during the flooding.
Australian authorities said at least 34 Australians were missing, while Nepalese officials gave a slightly higher figure at one stage. Rescue operations involving Nepalese and Chinese teams continued amid difficult weather and flood conditions, which reportedly restricted helicopter access. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade was working urgently to establish the welfare of Australians in the region.
Where outlets differ
The reports give different death-toll and missing-person figures, apparently reflecting updates issued at different times: Source 1 cites 359 deaths and more than 800 missing in Nepal, while Source 2 cites 332 deaths and 910 missing, including 517 foreigners.
Source 1 focuses on identifying the Muralitharan family and the impact on Sydney’s Hindu community. Source 2 instead identifies the Balakrishnans and Ms Sundrasan, and includes comments from their children.
Both attribute the event to a landslide and glacial collapse, but Source 2 adds that the high-altitude ice and rock avalanche in Langtang National Park was initially thought to be a magnitude 4.4 earthquake.
More coverage
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Family of four missing in Nepal flood disaster practised hiking around Sydney before sacred Himalayan trek: ‘Kindest people you’ll ever meet’”.