Flash flooding along the Nepal-Tibet border has left 39 Australians missing, including children as young as 11, according to the Guardian. A New South Wales couple on a spiritual pilgrimage were among the first to be identified.
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Key facts
- Thirty-nine Australians are reported missing after flash flooding on the Nepal-Tibet border.
- Children as young as 11 are among those yet to be found.
- A Nepali tour operator fears 15 Australians on a trek near the China border have died.
- Venkatraman Balakrishnan, 52, and his wife Chitra Venkatraman, 46, from New South Wales, are among those identified as missing.
- The group of 15 Australians was travelling to Mount Kailash in Tibet on a spiritual trip.
Thirty-nine Australians are missing after flash flooding ravaged the Nepal-Tibet border, according to the Guardian, with children as young as 11 among those yet to be found. The scale of the disaster has grown as more people have been identified in the hours since the flooding.
A New South Wales couple on a spiritual pilgrimage were among the first of the Australians identified as missing. Venkatraman Balakrishnan, 52, and his wife, Chitra Venkatraman, 46, were among 15 Australians travelling to Mount Kailash in Tibet on a spiritual trip, according to their son.
A Nepali tour operator fears the 15 Australians who had been on a trek near the border with China have died in the flooding, the Guardian reported. The fate of the wider group of missing travellers remained unclear as reporting continued.
The number of Australians reported missing rose over the course of the day. Earlier figures placed the total at 15 identified travellers, before reports indicated 35 and then 39 Australians were missing following the disaster.
Mount Kailash, in Tibet, is a significant pilgrimage destination, drawing travellers on spiritual journeys across the Nepal-Tibet border region where the flooding struck.
The Guardian said it was providing live updates on the flash flooding as the situation developed. Details on rescue efforts and the full toll had not been confirmed in the sources available.
Why it matters
The disaster underscores the deadly risks that flash flooding poses to trekkers and pilgrims in the high-altitude Nepal-Tibet border region. With children among the missing, the event highlights the human toll of extreme weather events in vulnerable mountain areas.
Frequently asked questions
How many Australians are missing after the Nepal floods?
According to the Guardian, 39 Australians are missing after flash flooding on the Nepal-Tibet border, including children as young as 11.
Who has been identified among the missing?
A New South Wales couple, Venkatraman Balakrishnan, 52, and his wife Chitra Venkatraman, 46, were among the first identified. They were part of a group of 15 Australians travelling to Mount Kailash in Tibet on a spiritual trip, according to their son.
How many people are feared dead?
A Nepali tour operator fears the 15 Australians who had been on a trek near the border with China have died, the Guardian reported.
Timeline
- What we know about the Australians missing in the Nepal floods
The Guardian World: More than 40 Australians are among several thousand people unaccounted for after catastrophic flooding on the Nepal-Tibet border How the deadly Nepal and Tibet flash flood unfolded – a visual guide Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast An 11-year-old child,
- Nepal floods: children as young as 11 among 35 Australians missing after disaster
The Guardian World: Nepali tour operator fears 15 Australians who had been on a trek near the border with China have died after devastating flood Nepal flash flood live updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A New South Wales couple on a spiritual pilgrimage are among t
- Nepal floods: children as young as 11 among 39 Australians missing after disaster
The Guardian World: Nepali tour operator fears 15 Australians who had been on a trek near the border with China have died after devastating flood Nepal flash flood live updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A New South Wales couple on a spiritual pilgrimage are among t
- Nepal floods: missing Australians identified as children as young as 11 among those yet to be found
The Guardian World: Nepali tour operator fears 15 Australians who had been on a trek near the border with China have died after devastating flood Nepal flash flood live updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A New South Wales couple on a spiritual pilgrimage are among t