THEY MIGHT BE IN CRITICAL CONDITION..! – Nepal floods: 2 boys among 34 Australians missing in vanished tour group

 2 boys among 34 Australians missing in vanished tour group

A wall of water and debris has erased entire villages on the Nepal-Tibet border. Dozens of Australians are still unaccounted for.

Two young boys are among 15 Aussies missing in Nepal after their tour company lost contact with them.

The boys, aged 11 and 14, were said to have been travelling with their parents.

Some 15 of 34 missing Aussies were on a tour in Nepal with the US-based Himalayan Glacier tourism operator when the catastrophic floods hit, according to Himalayan Glacier founder and chief executive Sagar Pandey.

A wave of debris pounded what appeared to be a car park in Jiulong Port. Credit: X/tears Lee
The travel company said it has lost contact with the group around 8.30am local time.

“We have 15 Australians going on the Kailash tour with HG and all of them are currently unaccounted for,” a spokesman for the company told the Australian Financial Review.

They said they are waiting for an update from search and rescue teams and authorities.

“Our office team lost contact with the trip leaders around 8:30 am yesterday local time. Since then we have not heard from them or any of the guests yet,” they said.

“Our CEO with a small team flew there, right after they were notified, to assess and aid but there were not permitted to land due to the ground situation.”

The oldest of the missing group is a 64-year-old woman, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Harrowing satellite images shows villages wiped out by deadly flooding in Napal and Tibet as 34 Australians are confirmed missing.

Before-and-after images show entire villages engulfed in mud after the Trishuli River in Chappthoke, Nepal, burst its banks on Wednesday.

At least 160 people have been killed in Nepal, and hundreds more are missing.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed 34 Australians are among almost 500 tourists missing. Around 400 of them are from outside Nepal, including 133 Indians pilgraims and 11 Brits. So far, one Australian has been officially confirmed as missing.

“People would have seen some of the footage, which is a truly horrific event,” Mr Albanese said at the News Limited Bush Summit in Dubbo.

“At this point, there are 34 Australians who are missing. We are asking for those with information, and hopefully through this, we will get you the numbers to put up on screen, where people can contact our consular people.

“At this point, Nepal is a developing country. It doesn’t have the resources that an event like that would have in Australia. So information is difficult.

“Now, our thoughts are with all those who’ll be concerned about their loved ones today.”

Images have shown houses submerged in mud and water in Nepal’s Nuwakot region, one of the worst affected areas.

Hundreds of people are still missing. Picture: Safal Prakash Shrestha/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Horror footage shows a mudslide crashing down a hill and destroying buildings at a border crossing between China, which governs Tibet, and Nepal.

Dozens of terrified people can be seen running from the incoming disaster just seconds before it hits the village.

Video also shows fast-flowing water mixed with debris rushing under a bridge and smashing into homes set near the banks.

Nepal’s foreign ministry said the flood may have been triggered by an earthquake causing an avalanche. There are theories that a giant chunk of ice may have snapped off and tumbled down the mountain, an event known as an ice avalanche.

Officials said most of the missing were likely tourists from India and the Indian diaspora on pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred site for Hindus. There are also tourists missing from Britain, South Africa, Canada, Malaysia, South Korea, Portugal, Ukraine, the Netherlands, Italy, the US and Australia. Nepal’s tourism board said 93 Nepalis are currently missing.

According to David Fisher, the Nepal delegation lead for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), entire villages and market areas are said to have been wiped out.

“These floods have been devastating. Nepal Red Cross teams are on site providing shelter, food and water,” he said.

Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah urged Nepalis to stay united as the death toll continues to rise.

“The pain and loss you have suffered is not small. But I want to assure you that you are not alone in this difficult time — the state is with you with all its means and resources,” he wrote on social media.

“Please be patient. The government takes full responsibility for your rescue, treatment, food and shelter. In times of such a disaster, we all need to stand together.”

Meanwhile, UN secretary-general António ‌Guterres said teams and partners are mobilising supplies and personnel in Nepal to help affected communities.

“I am saddened by the severe flooding in Nepal and China, which has claimed many lives, left people missing, and caused widespread destruction,” he said in a post on X.

“I extend my condolences to the families of the victim[s], and I wish a swift recovery to those injured.

“My solidarity is with all those affected.”

Nepal has so far said 157 people are known to have died; Chinese authorities have confirmed three fatalities and have said more than 250 people are unaccounted for.

But Chinese state media say they are expecting significant casualties as Nepalese officials warn of “huge-scale loss”.

Entire villages are said to be ‘wiped out’. Picture: PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP
Desperate rescue operations are continuing to take place despite the dangerous flooding still ongoing.

Only 12 people have been found and safely evacuated from disaster zones so far.

The Nepalese Army has deployed 14 helicopters and amassed disaster response teams.

In several badly affected regions, the waters remain too high for helicopters to land and rescue trapped residents.

Australia’s response

Australia’s foreign minister Penny Wong said the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) was working to confirm the status of Australians affected by the floods.

“The loss of life and destruction caused by flash flooding in Nepal and China is devastating,” she says.

“Our thoughts are with the loved ones of those killed or missing and all affected by this disaster. DFAT officials are urgently working to confirm the welfare of Australians in the area.”

Earlier, a DFAT spokesman urged Aussies in affected areas to follow the advice of local authorities.

“We extend our deepest sympathies to those affected by the significant flooding in Nepal and Tibet, China,” they said.

“Australians in the affected area should follow the advice of local authorities.

“We are aware of a number of Australians in the area and Australian officials are urgently working to confirm their welfare. We are liaising with local authorities as well as tour operators.

“We stand ready to provide consular assistance.”

This combination of satellite images by Planet Labs shows an aerial view of the Shyaphrubesi village and Trishuli River in Rasuwa district of Nepal before and after the flood. Picture: FP PHOTO/2026 PLANET LABS PBC
They said Australians in need of emergency consular assistance should contact DFAT’s 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on 1300 555 135, or +61 2 6261 3305, if calling from overseas.

The embassies of Australia, Finland, France, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom in Nepal also issued a joint statement.

“We are deeply saddened by the devastating flooding in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts and surrounding areas,” the statement read.

“Our thoughts are with all those affected by this disaster. We express our solidarity with the people of Nepal during this difficult time.

“We encourage all those in affected areas to follow the guidance of local authorities and official safety advisories as the situation continues to evolve.”

The disaster started when the Bhotekoshi River flooded at around 9am on Wednesday.

Several villages were wiped out by the fast-moving water as the current destroyed roads and hydropower projects, officials said.

Houses submerged in sludge after flash floods at Devghat, Nepal. (Photo by Prakash MATHEMA / AFP)

400 people are missing. (Photo by Prakash MATHEMA / AFP)

Houses lie partially submerged in muddy water along a riverside after flash floods at Trishuli Bazar in Nepal’s Nuwakot district on August 26, 2026. (Photo by Prabin RANABHAT / AFP)

A woman is rescued by emergency crews. (Photo by Prakash MATHEMA / AFP)
Local authorities issued warnings to residents of several of Nepal’s districts asking them to stay away from the banks of Bhotekoshi, Trishuli and Narayani rivers.

One witness told CNN: “It all came suddenly. We heard a loud sound, like a volcano erupting. People started to scream and ran away”.

Tula Bahadur, a health worker in Rasuwa, added: “There is devastation everywhere we look.

“The settlements next to the river have been completely swept away. Five of my own relatives are missing.”

Shocking footage showed a huge wave of debris surge through a building in China before crashing to the ground in a terrifying cloud of dust.

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged “all-out” rescue operations as emergency crews scrambled to rescue people trapped in the rubble.

He said: “The most urgent task is doing everything possible to search for and rescue the missing people … quickly treat injured people and minimise casualties to the greatest extent possible.”

Roads and bridges have been cut off as the wave of debris barrelled into China’s Gyirong port.

The entire region of Shigatse was plunged into darkness as the mudslide slashed through power cables.

Qianggong Zhang, head of climate and environmental risks at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, has warned a second flood may be imminent.

He said: “With a blockage still lodged upstream on the Nepal-China border river, authorities warn a second flood may occur.”