Nepalese police have released a list of the names of 35 Australians missing after flash flooding in Rasuwa.
Most of the missing are in their 40s and 50s although the ages of several are unknown. It was earlier confirmed that two boys aged 11 and 14 are missing.
Australian authorities report at least 38 Australians are among the more than 1400 people missing.
Authorities compiled the missing list, detailing tourists in the impacted region who were on tours with local operators including Trekkers Society, Glacier, Kathmandu Holiday and Kailash Journey.
The number was revised up from 35 as Australian officials work to urgently confirm the welfare of those affected.
“We understand an additional four Australians who are unaccounted for were travelling separately to these tours. And we have been contacting the families of Australians unaccounted for and taking calls from the public in relation to anybody who was in the region,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong told Radio National on Friday morning.
“Obviously, it’s a very difficult situation. It’s a remote location. So we are urgently working to identify how many Australians have been in the region and to confirm the welfare of any Australians who are not accounted for.”
There are 20 consular staff in Nepal and four more officers are set to arrive over the next 24 hours, Ms Wong said.
Three “humanitarian response specialists” are set to arrive within the next couple of days.
KANAGAMAH SUNDRASAN
A Queensland business owner and mother of two is among the latest missing Australians to be identified.
Swaatika Kanniah told the ABC her mum Kanagamah Sundrasan was on pilgrimage to Mount Kailash.
No one has heard from her since Tuesday.
“It’s a very sacred spot, so it was one of her dreams to fulfil,” Ms Kanniah told the outlet.
She described her mum as “the kindest woman ever” who was always “very giving”.
“It’s been a bit worrying because we haven’t been able to contact her yet; it’s been really hard to grab hold of anyone who has any information,” Ms Kanniah said.
“We really want her to come back home and we miss her, like, a lot.
“She doesn’t really go on trips like this; that’s why it was very exciting for her to travel and do this thing that she always wanted to do.”
RAKESH SHIVAPRASAD NAYAKA
The 39-year-old mechanical engineer from Melbourne’s Wantirna South checked in to an immigration office in Nepal just 10 minutes before floods struck the region.
His relative, religious group Australia Bharatha Brahmin Samaj vice president Brindha Venkat, has issued a public plea for information on his whereabouts.
Ms Venkat, a Glen Waverley business owner, urged anyone with information to contact ABBS.
KUMAR SAMPATH
Melbourne man Kumar Sampath, 61, was on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in the region when he went missing.
His wife told this masthead he was travelling with a group from Sydney with US-based Himalayan Glacier Tourism and Travel.
Mr Sampath, a retired engineer from Glen Waverley and avid hiker, is among 10 Australians missing from the tour group, which includes two boys aged 11 and 14.
“He is missing,” his wife confirmed.
“I couldn’t contact my husband. I’ve tried. He hasn’t answered.”
She said the family remained hopeful Mr Sampath would be found alive and had been attempting to contact the Australian Consulate.
VENKATRAMAN BALAKRISHNAN AND CHITRA VENKATRAMAN
Western Sydney couple Venkatraman Balakrishnan, 52, and Chitra Venkatraman, 46, were also travelling with Himalayan Glacier when disaster struck.
When their son, Akash Venkatraman, waved goodbye to his mum and dad from Sydney, they were off on a once-in-a-lifetime spiritual journey.
The last time he spoke with his parents they were staying at riverside accommodation in the village of Syabrubesi in the Rasuwa District of Nepal.
Hours later, the area was devastated by the flash flood.
Mr Venkatraman told Guardian Australia he had not lost hope.
“The rest of us here have a wide range of support who are each trying their best to see what they can do,” he said.
“Overall, I’m focused on continuing as normal as worrying will get me nowhere.”
RAMESH SHARMA AND NEELAM SHARMA
Parents Ramesh Sharma and Neelam Sharma are currently unaccounted for.
SRIDHARAN IYER, ROOPA SRIDHAR, RUDHRA SREEDHARAN IYER AND RISHABH SRIDHARAN IYER
Another Sydney family — Sridharan Iyer, Roopa Sridhar, Rudhra Sreedharan Iyer and Rishabh Sridharan Iyer — is also among those missing.
Family friend Nisha Khadka issued an urgent plea for information on Facebook, saying they were last known to be in Kathmandu before the floods.
“If anyone has seen them, has any information about their whereabouts, or has found them safe, please contact me as soon as possible,” she wrote.
TWO BOYS AGED 11 AND 14: AARUSH MURALITHARAN & ASHWIN MURALITHARAN
A US travel company confirmed 10 Australian members of its tour group are missing, including two boys aged 11 and 14.
The two boys identities have been revealed as Aarush Muralitharan, 11, and Ashwin Muralitharan, 14.
They are missing along with their parents, Chandrasekaran Muralitharan, 47, and Shylaja Muralitharan, 42.
UDAY SHIVAMURTHY AND KRIPA SHIVAMURTHY
Uday Shivamurthy, 59, and Kripa Shivamurthy, 55, are both unaccounted for.
BHARAT MANGWANIMICHAEL RYAN KEATS
Michael Keats is one of 39 Australians reported missing in the Nepal floods.
Jamie Lepre, who organises camping events with Mr Keats, shared a message on Facebook Friday calling people to join a prayer session, and said a “miracle” was needed to bring the Aussie home.
“He was caught up in the floods there in the immigration centre between Nepal and Tibet, and we have not heard anything from him in the last almost 48 hours,” he said.
“Obviously his whole family and his partner Emily and stepson Jai are all very concerned.
“We’re all very concerned and feel like there’s not much we can do so the one thing that we can do is come together and pray and put together all of our intentions and all of our heartfelt feelings into getting him back home.
“Please bring instruments, something for the altar, a candle, anything at all that’s going to help drum up this energy to create a miracle, because we will need a miracle to ensure his safety.”
UMESH SHARMA AND KRISHNA SHARMA
Umesh Sharma, 55, and Krishna Sharma, 50, are among those missing and are members of the same family.
KUMAR RAMASWAMY SAMPATH
Kumar Ramaswamy Sampath, 61, was also yet to make contact after the devastating floods hit.
SAHU SIDHARTHI KUMARI and MOHAPATRA SANDEEP
Sandeep Mohapatra, 62, and Sidharthi Kumari Sahu, 58, remain unaccounted for in the flood-hit region.
RESHMA BHAVIN PATEL
One of the 39 missing Australians has been identified as Sydney woman Reshma Bhavin Patel.
Ms Patel was travelling on the travelling on the Kailash–Tibet route when the area was hit by devastating flash flooding.
Family friend Krishna Awasthi is assisting search efforts to find the missing woman and confirmed she was missing.
Mrs Patel’s husband is understood to have flown to Kathmandu early Friday morning to try and find his wife. The couple have two children and live in Muswellbrook in the NSW Hunter region.
Family friend Umesh Awasthi described Mrs Patel as “a good person”
“She is a good person,” he said. “She is a good person in general.”
Vrishme Karki, who is Nepalese, said Mrs Patel was the wife of her boss and called her to help find his wife.
“I think he’s going ot stay in Kathmandu, I had my brother over there take care of him now,” she said.
Ms Karki said Mrs Patel was in Nepal on a spiritual tour.
MURALITHARAN CHANDRASEKARAN
Muralitharan Chandrasekaran has been named among those missing in Nepal.
BHOOMI MAHENDRAKUMAR PATEL
Bhoomi Mahendrakumar Patel, 40, remains missing following the catastrophic flooding.
DAYA GANESHBALE
Daya Ganeshbale remains unaccounted for. Her age was not provided on the Nepalese police list.
RAJESWARI SHARMA
The 64-year-old Australian Rajeswari Sharma has not been accounted for.
SRUTHI CHANDRASEKARAN
There are also fears for Sruthi Chandrasekaran.
RENEE THERESE SPRY
Fifty-year-old Renee Therese Spry is listed as missing.
LUKE CHRISTOPHER COSTANZO
Fifty-year-old Renee Therese Spry is listed as missing.
ARPAN MITHALAL KOTHARI
Arpan Mithalal Kothari, 39, remains unaccounted for following the devastating floods.
CARA PATRICA ROSE
Cara Severino (Cara Patrica Rose) has confirmed she is alive after she was caught up in the Nepal crisis.
The 26-year-old was hiking the Langtang trek when she became stranded at Kyangjia Gompa after floodwaters cut communications across the area.
Her parents, Debbie and Frank Severino, said they heard from their daughter for the first time on Friday morning.
“We understand that they are attempting to reach Kathmandu on foot,” the Severino parents told media outlets including the ABC.
“We eagerly await more information about her safe return.
“We praise God that she has been able to make this brief contact with us.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with all the families awaiting news.”
KARAN BHARDWAJ
Karan Bhardwaj, 39, remains missing following the disaster.
AGASTYA GOPI KRISHNA NAIDU
Agastya Gopi Krishna Naidu, 64, has not yet been accounted for.
SUMI ADHIKARI
Sumi Adhikari, 40, is among those still unaccounted for following the floods.
BHAVINKUMAR RAJNIKANT RAVAL
Bhavinkumar Rajnikant Raval, 59, has not yet been accounted for following the disaster.
BRISBANE MAN
There are also fears for a Brisbane man who was in a Nepalese town before it was devastated by flash flooding.
It has been confirmed that at least one man living in Brisbane was in the Nepalese border town of Timure, which is located in a river valley in the Himalayas along the Bhote Koshi River, before it was devastated by a massive flood.
As of Thursday afternoon, he has yet to make contact with his family.
HOW MANY AUSTRALIAN TOURISTS ARE MISSING?
Authorities are desperately searching for the more than 579 missing after a flash flood caused by an ice avalanche ripped through the popular Himalayan border region of Nepal and China’s Tibet.
TRAVEL COMPANIES ON ALERT, WITH MISSING TOURISTS
On Thursday, US-based travel company Himalayan Glacier confirmed to this masthead that it has lost contact with 10 Australians that were travelling with their group. That figure later increased to 15.
“As of now we have 10 Australians in our group that lost contact after the floods around 8.30am local time,” Sanket Pandey, Managing Director, Himalayan Glacier Adventure & Travel told this masthead.
“We have about 15 Australians total in the group.”
There are two boys in the group, aged 11 and 14, who are believed to have been travelling with their parents.
There were also 38 foreigners in the group and nine Nepali nationals – seven of whom were tour guides – as well as two people from the United Kingdom, two from Singapore and travellers from the United States and Russia.
Mr Pandey said he was waiting on further updates from his team in Nepal.
Melbourne travel agency Kailish Vision Treks said a group of 16 travellers, including at least six Australians, passed through impacted area just the day before the tragedy.
“Luckily none of our clients who booked through us [are affected],” a spokesman told The Australian.
“They are all safe. We have been in touch with our travellers and they are all safe.
“They had crossed the border the day earlier.”
Buddha Travel & Tours, another Melbourne-based travel agency specialising in booking trips to the Tibet-Nepal region, said it was checking its records.
Intrepid Travel general manager Nepal Yalamber Rai said all customers and team members in Nepal had been accounted for and were safe and well.
“We are closely monitoring developments and continuing to assess the impact on current trips, transportation services, accommodations, and upcoming departures,” he said.
“We will adapt our operations as needed to ensure the safety of our customers and team members. We are also focused on supporting the wellbeing of our local partners and host communities and are exploring ways we can assist those affected as they navigate the challenges ahead.”
Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Matt Thistlethwaite said the missing Australians were believed to be part of a number of hiking tours in the region and more information would become available in the coming hours.
“Australian officials at our embassy there are working as hard as they possibly can to confirm the number of Australians involved,” he told ABC Radio on Thursday.
“We understand that this is a popular destination for pilgrims, particularly for the Hindu faith at this time of the year, and that there are Australians that were involved in tours there. So, we’re just trying to confirm how many were involved and obviously get in touch with their families.
Travel company G Adventures confirmed in a statement that all its travellers and staff in the affected area were safe.
“We currently have one traveller group in Tibet, whose itinerary is being adjusted to accommodate changes to the border crossing,” said a spokesperson.
“All other G Adventures itineraries in the region remain unchanged at this time.”
A spokesman from travel company World Expeditions said all its clients and staff travelling in Nepal were “safe and accounted for”.
“We are continuing to monitor the situation very closely with our local ground operators and authorities,” the spokesman said.
“Most Australians travelling to Nepal to trek or climb in the Everest region would not normally pass through the area directly affected by this particular event.
“That being said, Nepal is a mountainous country and extreme weather can have wider impacts on roads, bridges, communications and access, so we are keeping a very close watch on conditions across the country.”
Nepali charge d’affaires Tara Gautam said all tourists entering protected areas in the region were registered for safety, with authorities recording when they arrive, the reason for their travel and when they return.
She also said it was a distressing time for the 300,000-strong Nepali diaspora in Australia.
“They have their loved ones, their relatives in Nepal,” Ms Gautam told ABC’s Radio National on Thursday.
Several countries have issued statements expressing solidarity with those impacted by the floods.
“We are deeply saddened by the devastating flooding in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts and surrounding areas,” an official statement from Australia, Britain, the European Union, Finland, France, Norway and Switzerland read.
“Our thoughts are with all those affected by this disaster. We express our solidarity with the people of Nepal during this difficult time.
“We encourage all those in affected areas to follow the guidance of local authorities and official safety advisories as the situation continues to evolve.”
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies head of delegation David Fisher said the floods were “devastating” and the Red Cross Nepal was on the ground providing shelter, food and water.
Originally published as More missing Australians named after Nepal tragedy