Australians in Nepal are being warned to avoid flood-ravaged areas and reconsider their movements as authorities desperately search for people missing after catastrophic flash flooding devastated communities near the Nepal-China border.
Smartraveller advice has been updated following the August 26 disaster in Rasuwa District, where major flash flooding and a mudslide caused widespread destruction to roads, transport links and critical infrastructure.
The warning comes as Nepal Tourism Board figures indicate 34 Australians are among hundreds of foreign nationals reported missing.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed Australian officials were urgently trying to establish their welfare.
“The loss of life and destruction caused by flash flooding in Nepal and China is devastating. Our thoughts are with the loved ones of those killed or missing and all affected by this disaster,” Senator Wong said.
“DFAT officials are urgently working to confirm the welfare of Australians in the area.”
Travel advice for Australians
Smartraveller continues to advise Australians to “exercise a high degree of caution” and to stay away from the areas affected by the latest disaster.
“On 26 August, major flash flooding and a mudslide in Rasuwa District and the Nepal-China border has caused significant damage. Roads, transport and infrastructure are significantly damaged. There have been a number of deaths and injuries reported. Avoid flood affected areas. Monitor local media and follow the instructions of local authorities,” the updated advice states.
The warning is particularly significant for tourists planning to travel through the mountainous Rasuwa region, where transport routes and infrastructure have been badly damaged.
‘Entire villages’ wiped out
The scale of the destruction is still emerging.
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Nepal delegation head David Fisher said entire communities had been devastated.
“Entire villages and market areas have been wiped out,” he said.
“These floods have been devastating. Nepal Red Cross teams are on site providing shelter, food and water.”
IFRC chief executive Jagan Chapagain announced almost $1.73 million in emergency funding to bolster the Nepal Red Cross response.
“The scale of destruction is severe: homes swept away, roads and bridges damaged, and critical infrastructure disrupted. The humanitarian impacts are significant and still unfolding,” he said.
“My thoughts, solidarity, and full support are with all those affected, and with the volunteers responding under extremely challenging conditions.”
What caused the devastating floods?
Authorities and scientists are still working to determine precisely what triggered the disaster.
Nepalese Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal initially told parliament an earthquake had triggered an avalanche that caused the Bhote Koshi River to suddenly flood.
The German Research Centre for Geosciences recorded a 4.4 magnitude earthquake shortly before floodwaters struck communities near the border.
Climate experts from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, however, believe a collapsing glacier on the Nepalese side may have blocked the river before releasing a sudden torrent downstream.
Nepal’s disaster authority has since said satellite data points to a “snow-rock landslide” near the border as the trigger.
The disaster comes after the same region was hit by flash flooding last August when a glacial lake in Tibet overflowed amid high temperatures.
Glaciers throughout the Hindu Kush Himalaya are melting at an accelerating rate, with research showing ice-loss rates have doubled since 2000.
Australians among hundreds missing
The 34 Australians are among a large number of international visitors authorities are attempting to locate.
Nepal Tourism Board figures list 142 Indians, 53 Ukrainians, 47 Americans, 33 Britons, 24 Canadians and 17 Malaysians among those missing, alongside tourists from South Korea, South Africa, Portugal and the Netherlands.
One missing Australian was travelling with Kathmandu Holiday Tours & Travel, according to the tourism board.
With rescue operations continuing and the full extent of the disaster still unclear, Australians already in Nepal are being urged to remain alert, stay away from affected areas and follow directions from local authorities.
Australians requiring emergency consular assistance can contact the Australian Embassy in Kathmandu on +977 1 437 1678.
DFAT’s 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre can also be reached on +61 2 6261 3305 from overseas or 1300 555 135 within Australia.
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