Australian Found Alive Two Weeks After Nepal Floods

Australian Survivor Confirmed

One Australian staying in Nepal confirmed their safety on September 8. According to SBS News, this Australian had been out of contact but reported they were safe and did not require consular assistance.

On August 26, a glacier collapsed in the Nepal-Tibet border region and poured into rivers, causing landslides and floods that killed at least 1,399 people. Over 5,400 people remain missing, including approximately 800 foreigners. 35 Australians are still unaccounted for.

Search for Survivors in Hydropower Tunnels

The glacier collapse buried at least 11 hydropower projects, and hundreds of hydropower workers are missing. The rescue of two Nepalese on Friday and one Chinese on Saturday from deep inside tunnels has raised hopes for finding additional survivors.

Nepal disaster authority official Dharma Raj Upreti told Reuters, "Search operations are currently focused on finding survivors, with particular emphasis on inside the tunnels," adding, "The main focus is the Chilime hydropower project, which has dining and residential facilities and food storage, so we believe people may be trapped there."

Australian tunnel rescue expert Arnold Dix, who is advising the Nepalese team, stated this operation represents an unprecedented challenge. He explained, "This is not a single rescue but multiple potential rescue operations happening simultaneously in different locations, each with its own risks, uncertainties, and lives to be saved."

Australian Government Response

The Australian government has dispatched a disaster response team and specialized resources to Kathmandu and committed $11 million for disaster response. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated on September 8 that this is a matter of national importance.

Families of the missing issued a statement on Sunday expressing gratitude for the efforts of federal police and search teams, while criticizing the government for failing to provide answers.

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