Forty-three Australians are missing in Nepal after devastating floodwaters triggered by a Himalayan glacier collapse swept through the region near the Nepal-China border, leaving around 800 people dead and at least 3,000 others missing.
Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Matt Thistlethwaite confirmed on Monday that the number of unaccounted-for Australians had risen to 43 overnight as rescue operations continue across the mountain terrain.
The catastrophic flooding occurred on Wednesday after a glacier collapsed in the Himalayas near the border between Nepal and China. Officials in the region described the sudden deluge of water as a "tsunami from the sky."
Among the missing is Renee Spry, a mother from Townsville in North Queensland who had been taking part in a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash. The peak, located in Tibet, holds great religious significance in Hinduism and Buddhism, drawing pilgrims from across the globe.
Ms Spry crossed the Nepal-Tibet border just 10 minutes before floodwaters struck the Gyirong border post. Her sister, Clair Spry, launched a fundraising campaign to help pay for flights so that Renee's partner and daughters could travel to the area.
"Our beloved sister Renee is still missing from the Tibet-Nepal border after the devastating events from this week," Clair Spry wrote on the fundraising page.
She added that her sister was "[last heard from] in the immigration building at the Gyirong port at the time of the disaster."
Four members of the Isaah Yeo family are also among the Australians still missing. Relatives confirmed that Sreedharan and Lakshmi Isaah Yeo, along with their two sons, Rudra and Rishabh, have not been heard from since Wednesday morning.
The family had traveled to the Himalayan region for a religious pilgrimage to Mount Kailash. Concerns grow as five days have passed since their last contact.
Families urge Australian military response
Sarada Vishwanathan, the partner of missing Australian Rishabh Isaah Yeo, said the family is upset, disappointed, and very scared as they await news from the disaster zone.
Speaking to Nine's Today program, Ms Vishwanathan appealed directly to the Australian government to send military personnel to join the search efforts in Nepal.
"The main thing we want now is to try and get the Australian government to go over there, send their troops over to find our people," Ms Vishwanathan told the program.
"It's been five days now, and we know that the critical window of survival is getting slimmer and slimmer as the days pass. And we just have no answers."
Ms Vishwanathan stated that because Nepal is a "third world country" lacking critical support infrastructure, Australia must send its own personnel to find its missing citizens.
She explained that the areas hardest hit by the floods have been completely cut off from all communication networks. However, she noted that families hold onto hope that their loved ones managed to escape to safety.
"Which has been most hard hit by these Nepal floods and we know that those areas have been cut off by all communication," she said.
"But we've heard reports that maybe they could have run up the hill. Maybe they could have fled. We know that it's a very mountainous and forested area, but we still have hope. We have hope every single day that they're up there somewhere, but they just can't reach us."
Government assistance and international response
Australian embassy staff in Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, are working around the clock to locate missing citizens and coordinate relief operations.
Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Matt Thistlethwaite confirmed that Australia deployed 12 response team personnel on Sunday to assist the Australian ambassador in Kathmandu.
"Our embassy staff in Kathmandu are working around the clock, and we've actually sent an additional 12 personnel to Kathmandu to assist our ambassador yesterday," Mr Thistlethwaite told ABC's Radio National on Monday.
"We remain hopeful of rescuing and returning them safely."
Mr Thistlethwaite said the Chinese government refused an offer of assistance from Australia. However, the Nepalese government requested additional international support.
In response, the Australian government pledged an extra $3 million in emergency funds, bringing Australia's total support package for Nepal to $8 million. The majority of the aid consists of essential supplies, including hygiene kits and solar lights.
The Australian Defence Force will deliver the emergency aid packages to Nepal later in the week. In addition to government funding, everyday Australians have raised millions of dollars to assist survivors of the disaster.
Thousands of survivors in Nepal have been forced into temporary shelters surrounded by mud and chaos. Relief agencies report that survivors remain in desperate need of basic amenities, including clean drinking water and medical supplies.
Disaster strikes Himalayan hydroelectric project
The wall of water caused widespread destruction along river valleys near the border, inundating infrastructure projects and worker encampments.
Rabindra Hamal, a worker at a local dam site, described the terrifying sequence of events to the Australian Associated Press. He said he and his colleagues were alerted just minutes before the floodwaters hit their work area on Wednesday.
"It was completely terrifying," Mr Hamal told AAP. "We couldn't believe it."
The workers initially escaped by car, but when they abandoned the vehicle to reach higher ground on foot, two members of their group were swept away by the fast-moving water.
The remaining workers scrambled across the steep terrain to reach safety but were forced to wait until the following day before rescue teams arrived.
Helicopters eventually airlifted the survivors to a nearby army barracks before evacuating them to Kathmandu for medical assessment and care.
Mr Hamal revealed that of the several thousand people working on the hydroelectric project, approximately 500 workers remain missing following the deluge.
Community vigils honour disaster victims
As emergency teams continue their search across affected regions in Nepal, communities across Australia are gathering to show support for the victims and missing families.
In Sydney, mourners held a candlelight vigil to honour those impacted by the flood disaster.
A public candlelight vigil will also be held at Melbourne's Federation Square on Monday evening, providing a space for the community to remember those lost in the catastrophe.
