With more news coming out of Nepal following yesterday’s deadly earthquake, it is now understood that at least one Australian is among the dead, killed by an avalanche on Mount Everest.
Per reports in Fairfax, the unnamed person was part of group of four from Dreamers’ Destination Treks And Expeditions, that also included one member from China and two from Nepal.
There are 549 Australian travellers registered in the area, and thus far, the Australian embassy has only been able to get in contact with 200, leaving almost 350 unaccounted for.
Speaking about the tragedy, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said that “we shouldn’t assume the worst”, as communication from Nepal is slow due to damaged infrastructure.
It is also likely that a number of Australians are trekking in remote parts of the country, away from the worst parts of the quake, and have not yet been able to contact family.
He added that Australia “will consider what further response, what on-the-ground response we might be able to make in the next day or so.” So far, we have allocated $5 million in aid to the country.
The overall death toll from the quake and its aftershocks currently stands at 2300, but that number is likely to rise.
The Red Cross’s Family Links website has a special section for the Nepal earthquake, listing people who have checked in as alive, and people who are still confirmed missing.
Facebook also offers a Nepal Earthquake Safety Check, allowing people to register themselves as safe, and friends and family members to connect with travellers in the area.
Based on our own searches, some travellers whose names do not yet appear as ‘safe’ on the Red Cross list have checked in via Facebook, so it’s definitely worth checking both sources.
Australia’s Department Of Foreign Affairs And Trade have a 24-hour consular emergency line, which can be contacted on 1300 555 135 from within Australia, of +612 6261 3305 from outside.
Photo: Omar Havana via Getty Images
