Number of Australians Missing in Nepal Floods Climbs to 35 as Death Toll Mounts

The number of Australians unaccounted for in Nepal's catastrophic floods and landslides has risen to 35, up from the 34 confirmed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday morning, after the Nepal Tourism Board published an updated tally. The disaster, which struck along the Nepal-Tibet border on Wednesday, has killed at least 165 people, with hundreds more still missing across the region.

The flooding was triggered by an avalanche of ice and rock, sending torrents of water and debris through steep valleys north of Kathmandu. The Bhotekoshi river burst its banks around 9am Wednesday, wiping out villages, roads and hydropower infrastructure. Images from hard-hit areas such as the Nuwakot district showed buildings buried to their second storeys in mud, debris tangled in trees and power lines, vehicles swallowed by the torrent, and survivors emerging caked in mud.

Scale of the Disaster

Nepal's national disaster agency reported that 823 people remained out of contact, including 644 Nepali citizens and foreign tourists. Officials from the Nepal Tourism Board identified missing nationals from multiple countries, with 133 Indians on pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, 47 Americans, 35 Australians, 33 Britons and 24 Canadians among those unaccounted for. At least 62 missing Nepali citizens had been trekking in the Gosaikunda Lake area in Rasuwa district, coinciding with the local festival of Janai Purnima.

Across the border, China's foreign minister said nearly 100 Chinese nationals were missing — a significant revision from earlier state media reports suggesting as many as 558 people, including 260 foreigners, were unaccounted for in Tibet's Gyirong County. Drone footage showed roads destroyed and buildings buried on the Chinese side of the border as well.

Search and rescue operations on both sides of the Nepal-China border had so far resulted in 88 people being pulled to safety, according to the Nepalese army. Nepal's government confirmed it had formally requested assistance from both India and China. Officials also warned residents across several districts to stay away from the banks of the Bhotekoshi, Trishuli and Narayani rivers as conditions remained dangerous.

Australians Among the Missing

Among those unaccounted for are 15 Australians who were part of a 47-person hiking tour in the Langtang Valley at the time of the disaster, according to a US-based tour operator, Himalayan Glacier Adventures. The group of Australians comprised nine men and six women. Reports indicate two were boys aged 11 and 14, and one was a woman aged 64.

The identities of some of those missing have begun to emerge. A Western Sydney couple — Venkatraman Balakrishnan, 52, and his wife Chitra Venkatraman, 46 — are understood to be among the tour group, with family members anxiously awaiting news.

Speaking at a press conference Thursday morning, Albanese described the scale of the event as "truly horrific" and appealed to anyone with relevant information to come forward. He acknowledged the significant challenges involved in gathering information from the region.

"At this point, Nepal is a developing country. It doesn't have the resources that an event like that would have in Australia, so information is difficult," the Prime Minister said. "Our thoughts are with all those who will be concerned about their loved ones today."

Government Response

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade was working "urgently" to determine the whereabouts and welfare of the missing Australians. She confirmed that additional DFAT personnel, including crisis response experts, were being deployed to the region to bolster support for Australia's post in Nepal.

"At this stage, access and information are very limited given the scale of disaster. We will do our best to ascertain whatever information we can," Wong said. She also directed Australia's ambassadors in both Nepal and China to do "everything they are able" to help locate those missing.

Melbourne's Nepalese Community Waits Anxiously

Back in Australia, members of the Nepalese community described the anguish of waiting for word from family and friends in the disaster zone. Tilak Pokharel, president of the Australian Nepalese Multicultural Centre, said a large number of people in Melbourne were anxiously waiting to hear from loved ones, particularly those with ties to the affected areas.

"There are a lot of people affected by the flood. There are many people from that area living in Melbourne," Pokharel said. He described speaking with contacts in Nepal who had lost their homes and all their possessions and were now sheltering in emergency accommodation with their children. A Melbourne woman reportedly broke down in tears on Wednesday night after learning her family had lost everything.

Despite the widespread devastation, Pokharel noted his community had been spared the worst. "Thankfully, none of them have lost relatives," he said. A community vigil and prayer gathering was planned for Thursday evening, with members also set to discuss practical ways to support those affected back home.

Authorities on both sides of the border continued to warn that the situation remained fluid, with the full death toll and the number of missing expected to change as search operations progressed through difficult terrain.