Some missing tourists make contact as Nepal flood death toll tops 1,100
KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Some tourists previously reported missing in Nepal have made contact with authorities, officials said Wednesday, as search efforts continued following catastrophic floods that killed at least 1,118 people and left more than 3,900 missing.
Nepal’s Foreign Ministry said 324 foreign nationals had been rescued so far, while about 590 from 39 countries remained missing a week after the Aug. 26 floods.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Wednesday that the number of Australians missing in the disaster had fallen from 43 to 38 after five were confirmed safe overnight.
“Amidst all of this tragedy, we are seeing some positive news. Today, another five Australians have been confirmed safe,” Albanese told reporters in Palau, where he is attending a regional summit.
“We hope, of course, for positive news further, and we’re doing everything we can to work with authorities,” Albanese added.
Sunil Sharma, a spokesperson for the Nepal Tourism Board, said at least five other foreign tourists who were previously reported missing had contacted authorities by email or telephone in recent days.
On the Chinese side, rescue crews completed a makeshift road to the disaster site at Gyirong Port on the Nepal border, state broadcaster CCTV reported Wednesday.
Crews have been clearing access for heavy machinery to be used in the search at the border crossing complex, which was washed away by the floods. The road leading to the crossing was destroyed and buried under water, mud and rocks.
China separately reported 16 deaths and 546 people missing as of Sunday.
The disaster began Aug. 26 in the Himalayas, when a glacial collapse sent rock, ice and meltwater into valleys below, triggering powerful floods downstream. The surge entered rivers flowing through Tibet and Nepal, causing them to rise rapidly. Floodwaters swept away homes, buildings, roads and bridges, carrying mud and rocks downstream.
Some flood survivors are fleeing the devastation to seek shelter in Nepal's capital Kathmandu.
Around 400 survivors, mostly from the town of Timure about 110 kilometers (65 miles) west of Kathmandu, have been staying at the Yellow Gumba monastery, grieving lost family members and homes while relying on one another for support. The shelter is being organized by locals and relatives, with relief supplies coming from individuals and charity organizations.
Among those at the monastery is 21-year-old Riya Tamang, who fled with her 10-month-old baby as floodwaters approached.
“I was the last one to leave the house. It was so difficult to escape,” she said.
Tamang lost her grandparents in the disaster. Her husband, who works as a cook in Gyirong town on the Chinese side of the border, also survived, and the couple now stays in touch through video calls.
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Associated Press journalists Rod McGuirk in Melbourne and Huizhong Wu in Bangkok contributed to this report.
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