Australian officials ‘working around the clock’ to check welfare of tourists missing in Nepal
· World · The Guardian, ABC News (AU)
The Australian government is working to verify the status of at least 35 citizens missing in Nepal after catastrophic flash floods struck the Nepal-Tibet border region. Assistant minister for foreign affairs, Matt Thistlethwaite, confirmed that a crisis response team is being deployed to the area to assist with search efforts. Local authorities report that nearly 1,400 people are missing across the region, with 270 bodies recovered so far. Widespread damage to road and telecommunications infrastructure has hindered rescue operations and communication with those in the affected valleys. The missing individuals include tourists from several nations, including India, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Why it matters
The disaster has severely impacted the region's adventure tourism industry during peak trekking season, leaving hundreds of foreign nationals unaccounted for.
Read the original report — The Guardian
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