Renee’s sister, a woman from Townsville who remains missing in the Nepal disaster, has spoken out about the ten fateful minutes that changed her life
A woman from Townsville who was taking part in a pilgrimage to Tibet has been revealed as one of the 43 Australians missing after the catastrophic floods in the region.
Renee Spry crossed the Nepal-Tibet border just 10 minutes before the floodwaters swept over the Gyirong border post on Wednesday.
Renee Spry was on a pilgrimage when the flash floods swept the border post between Nepal and Tibet. Clair Spry
At least 800 people have died and left more than 3000 missing in both countries, as authorities warn there could be a further threat of flash flooding.
Spry’s family revealed she was still missing, and was returning home from a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, a site that holds great significance in Buddhism and Hinduism.
“Our beloved sister Renee is still missing from the Tibet-Nepal border after the devastating events from this week,” her sister Clair Spry wrote on a fundraising page.
“[She was] last heard from in the immigration building at the Gyirong port at the time of the disaster.”
Spry said the family was trying to organise travel to the region for Renee’s partner Shaun, and her daughters Lily and Ruby.
The Nepalese army, police and ministry volunteers search Dhunge after it was impacted by the Nepal flood disaster. KATE GERAGHTY
Dozens of Australians remain missing
The number of Australians still missing has risen to 43, even as the family of 26-year-old Cara Severino celebrated her survival.
Severino made contact with her parents on Friday while in a disaster-struck region of Nepal before she was rescued by an Australian crisis team on Saturday.
The Severino family said they were “beyond relieved” as Severino was on her way to Kathmandu.
The Australian government confirmed on Sunday that 42 Australians remained missing, and said $3 million in extra humanitarian support would be sent.
“This is an extremely anxious time for their families and loved ones. They are understandably desperate for news, and our thoughts are very much with them,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Defence Minister Richard Marles, and International Development Minister Dr Anne Aly said in a joint statement.
“There are now 12 Australian response team personnel – including crisis response, consular officers and Australian Federal Police – in Kathmandu to support the crisis response, in addition to staff already there.”
The Nepali government had requested emergency supplies including hygiene kits and solar lighting solutions. The Royal Australian Air Force will transport the first of those supplies from Queensland in the coming days.
The extra funding brings Australia’s total humanitarian support for the disaster to $8 million.
Some residents return to ruined homes
In Dhading, one of the worst-hit regions in Nepal, some residents began returning to ruined homes to see what can be salvaged.
Cara Severino. Instagram
Residents sat in homes with walls washed away by the floods, shovelling sludge-like mud and rubble off balconies or window frames. Others scanned the ground for items they could pick out of the mud and rinse off. One man had returned for his chickens, which he found alive. He tied them up and put them in the cabin of his truck.
“Everything is finished. Nothing is left. Not even our home,” Sharmila Tamang, a Dhading resident who was trying to salvage items from her home, told The Associated Press.
At a key power plant that was severely damaged by the floods, workers started inspecting the facilities on Sunday to survey the destruction. The plant serves over 20,000 people across four districts.
In the town of Galchhi, a group of residents sought higher ground on a nearby bridge and watched as the river roared by. Some pointed to enormous rocks washed downriver during the earlier floods, while others standing on a suspension bridge were warned off with whistles.
Along the river, homes, vehicles and farm tractors could be seen jutting from the thick grey-brown sediment that enveloped entire villages in some areas. Parts of rice terraces along the riverside had dropped into the river after landslides hit them.
Nepal’s disaster agency said on Sunday that the death toll had climbed to 788 with 2502 missing, while Chinese authorities reported 16 deaths and 546 missing on the Chinese side of the border.
The missing include hundreds of people from over a dozen countries who were in the region to work, visit the mountains or make a pilgrimage to a sacred peak. On Sunday, Chinese state media said 261 foreigners were missing in Tibet, including more than a hundred Nepalis and others from around the world.
Residents are receiving constant flood warnings
Homes and businesses left intact after the flooding were still without electricity on Sunday, as twisted power line poles and wires lay tangled in the mud.
Prithivi Highway is a crucial supply route for food, fuel and other goods entering Kathmandu from other parts of the country. While most of the highway is operational, other parts still face repair challenges.
The latest warnings came after Chinese authorities informed their Nepalese counterparts of increased water flow upstream, according to Dharam Raj Uprety, chief executive of Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.
A drone view shows rescue workers inspect the area and damaged structures following recent flash flooding along the Trishuli River. AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh
But residents of the flood-hit villages said they were struggling to make sense of near-constant alarms they’ve received since the initial floods.
“Sometimes they say a flood is coming, then we have to run again to higher ground, even at night. There is also rain,” said Govind Shreshta, a resident. “It’s really difficult for me. I have a 72-year-old father and 70-year-old mom. I must carry them and I am exhausted. It’s going on like this for those who are still alive.”
Large concrete and smaller suspension bridges were destroyed, leaving communities on the other side of the river with less easy access.
“Those who are there are now stuck there. Those who are here are stuck here. It’s going to be very difficult,” said Sattan Singh Tamang, 47, who was working near a bridge when Wednesday’s floods came.
Minister says Nepalis have become victims of climate change
Wednesday’s flash floods started after a glacial collapse high in the Himalayan region. Scientists who studied satellite images said bedrock underneath a glacier high in the Himalayan region had collapsed, taking part of the glacier with it. The rockfall was so extreme that it registered as magnitude 5.2.
The rocks and melted water then swelled the rivers in the valleys below, causing a torrent of water that swept buildings, bridges and earth downstream in Tibet and Nepal.
Nepal’s foreign minister called for a global response to climate change, saying Nepal was bearing a disproportionate share of its impact.
“Despite having only 0.1 per cent contribution to the global emissions, people of Nepal have become major victims of climate change,” Shisir Khanal said on Saturday.
An aerial view shows debris and mud covering settlements following flash floods in Devghat village, Nepal. Getty Images
Scientists have said it is too early to draw a direct connection between global warming and Wednesday’s catastrophe. However, they said that as Earth’s temperature rises because of human activities such as burning oil, gas and coal, the chances of such disasters increase, especially in the Himalayan mountains, which are warming considerably faster than many other parts of the world.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Sunday his country will send a search-and-rescue team to Nepal to assist with relief efforts and help evacuate Malaysians affected by the disaster.
Malaysia has also pledged $1 million in financial aid to Nepal, he said in a statement.
SOURCE: 9 NEWS
https://www.nine.com.au/world-news/nepal-warns-of-possible-fresh-flooding-as-communities-grapple-with-devastation-20260830-p60svb.html
