Devastating new details emerge about the 34 missing Australians caught up terrifying Nepal landslide – with 15 confirmed to be on a two-week pilgrimage tour
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
At least 34 Australians are missing after a landslide-triggered flash flood devastated communities near the Nepal–Tibet border, with hundreds of people feared unaccounted for overall. The disaster is significant because rescue teams are still searching in a remote Himalayan area, the confirmed death toll has reached 160 and authorities expect it to rise.
Fifteen of the missing Australians were on a 14-day pilgrimage tour from Kathmandu to Mount Kailash; the group includes boys aged 11 and 14, and its operator lost contact with leaders on Wednesday morning. Nepal’s Prime Minister’s office said 579 people were unaccounted for, including 466 foreign nationals from 28 countries, while Australian officials and tour operators are working to confirm travellers’ welfare.
- At least 34 Australians are missing after catastrophic Nepal flooding.
- Fifteen missing Australians were on a Mount Kailash pilgrimage tour.
- The death toll stands at 160 and may rise.
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Mount Kailash is a remote mountain in Tibet that is sacred to many Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and followers of the Bon religion. Pilgrimage trips often begin in Kathmandu, Nepal, before travelling through high Himalayan terrain towards the border.
The Nepal–Tibet border region is mountainous, with narrow valleys and roads that can be cut off by heavy rain, landslides and flooding. Its remoteness can make communication, rescue work and confirming the whereabouts of travellers difficult.
Full account
At least 34 Australians are reported missing after destructive flash flooding in the Himalayan border region of Nepal and Tibet, China. The disaster followed a landslide and ice avalanche on Wednesday morning local time, which sent water, ice, mud and debris through valleys and settlements near the Bhote Koshi River. Nepalese police put the wider number of people unaccounted for at 579, including 466 foreign nationals from 28 countries, while the Prime Minister’s office said more than 150 bodies had been recovered.
Australian officials are working with local authorities and tour operators to establish the welfare of those affected. The missing list includes visitors from several countries, with the reports identifying 54 Americans, 24 Canadians and 33 Britons among those unaccounted for. Foreign Minister Penny Wong described the loss of life and damage as devastating, while the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade urged Australians in the area to follow local instructions and said consular staff were seeking to verify people’s safety.
One tour operator, Himalayan Glacier Adventures, said it had lost contact with 15 Australian participants and trip leaders on a 14-day Kailash pilgrimage tour travelling from Kathmandu towards Mount Kailash. The group reportedly includes nine males and six females, among them boys aged 11 and 14; the oldest person listed is a 64-year-old woman. The company said communication ceased at about 8.30am local time and that an assessment team was unable to land because of conditions on the ground.
Video from the area showed floodwater rapidly overtaking riverbanks, roads and buildings as people ran across fields to escape. Rescue work continued amid concern that the confirmed death toll and the number of missing could rise. Another Australian was reported by the Nepal Tourist Board to have been travelling with Kathmandu Holiday Tours & Travel, though authorities had not publicly confirmed the identities or circumstances of all 34 Australians listed as missing.
Where outlets differ
Source 1 provides the most detailed account of the 15-person Kailash tour group, including ages, gender breakdown and the operator’s account of losing contact. Source 2 instead gives a fuller nationality breakdown of the wider missing-persons list and includes comments from Penny Wong. The sources give slightly different recovered-body totals: 160 in Source 1 and 157 in Source 2, likely reflecting reporting at different times. Source 1 describes one additional missing Australian as travelling with Kathmandu Holiday Tours & Travel, whereas Source 2 says at least one was believed to be on a hiking tour.