One of 43 missing Australians has been found alive six days after catastrophic floods hit the Nepal-China border.
In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was unable to provide details about the person due to privacy obligations.
The Australian was in Tibet, China.
“It’s hard to imagine the sense of relief their loved ones must be feeling after what will have been an incredibly harrowing few days,” Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said in a statement on Tuesday.
But China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has told the ABC the Australian citizen was not in the disaster zone.
“This Australian citizen was not in the epicentre of the disaster and has already been in contact with the Australian Embassy in China,” the foreign ministry said.
“The Chinese side is currently making every effort to search for and rescue missing persons, both Chinese and foreign.”
More than 4,400 people remain missing in the affected area.
The rescue effort comes after the “golden window” of the first 72 hours for finding a survivor, which experts say offers the best chances of survival without access to clean water.
Cara Severino, who was found alive in Nepal on the weekend. (Supplied)
The Australian has spoken with their family and is receiving support from consular officers.
Another Australian, Cara Severino, was safely located on the weekend, bringing the number of Australians missing following the flash floods down to 42.
Despite the welcome news, the Foreign Affairs Minister warned that the government “must remain realistic about the days ahead”.
Rescue teams are battling mud, rock and debris in many hard-to-reach areas. (Reuters: Stringer)
“As each day passes, our grave concerns for those still unaccounted-for inevitably grow,” she said.
Nepalese and Indian Army rescue personnel search through damaged buildings. (AFP: Prakash Mathema)
Yesterday, the Australian government announced it would increase its humanitarian assistance for Nepal to $8 million.
Assistant Foreign Minister Matt Thistlewaite said this funding would mostly go towards the supply of hygiene kits.
“There’s a desperate need for these kits for people in the region and also solar lights,” he said.
“Obviously all of the power and telecommunications infrastructure has been wiped out.
“So those kits are being put together; they’ll be transported by the Australian Defence Force over the coming days.”