WHERE ARE MY MUM AND DAD? AUSTRALIAN FAMILIES ARE LIVING THROUGH A NIGHTMARE AS 39 PEOPLE REMAIN MISSING AFTER NEPAL FLASH FLOODS — THE NUMBER HAS RISEN AGAIN, LEAVING RELATIVES WAITING IN SILENCE FOR NEWS THAT COULD CHANGE THEIR LIVES FOREVER

As families across Australia wait anxiously in the aftermath of devastating flash floods across Nepal and Tibet to hear back from loved ones, the amount of those missing continues to rise.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed that at least 39 Australians remain unaccounted for, up from 35 on Thursday.

Uday and Kripa Shivamurthy are missing after floods hit a Nepal-China border crossing point. Navya Nataraj

“The extraordinary scale of this disaster and the remoteness of the affected region mean immense challenges lie ahead for the response and recovery,” the statement read.

She also confirmed that Australia will send personnel to aid the recovery effort in the next 48 hours.

The official death toll has risen to 469 people, according to the Nepali Police, and more than 1400 people remain missing in the disaster zone.

What we know about the missing Australians

In total, 32 of the missing Australians were participating in organised tours: 15 with Himalayan Glacier Adventure and Travel Kailash Group, six with Kailash Journeys, and 11 on a pilgrimage with the Isha Foundation.

The affected groups included international travellers alongside local staff.

Among the unaccounted-for Australians are two teenage brothers, Aarush and Ashwin Muralitharan, aged just 11 and 14.

Aarush and Ashwin Muralitharan remain unaccounted for in Nepal. Supplied

It was learned on Friday that the siblings have been travelling with their parents as part of a 15-person Australian contingent on a Himalayan Glacier tour.

Melbourne couple Sandeep Mohapatra and Sidharthi Kumari Sahu, who moved to Australia in 2018, were last tracked to an immigration centre near the Nepal-China border, according to Nine newspapers, and have not been heard from since.
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Their friend Manu Nayak said the pair had been travelling in the area before communications were lost.

He told called the situation was “extremely challenging and difficult”.

Among the missing pilgrims is Melbourne father Kumar Sampath, 61, whose son told the Sydney Morning Herald he is a “hardworking, successful entrepreneur”.

“[He] came to Australia with nothing and provided his family with everything they wanted,” Kumar’s son Mani said.

“He loved hiking, nature and recently retired and wanted to explore his faith.”

Among those caught in the same border zone are Sydney couple Uday and Kripa Shivamurthy, who were returning from a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash.

Kumar Sampath ran an engineering business specialising in railways before his retirement. The Age

Their niece, Navya Nataraj, told CNN the regular trekkers last sent photos and videos at 9.05 am while waiting to cross into Nepal, just 10 minutes before the flash floods struck.

Nataraj described the family as distraught, though the couple’s two young-adult sons are holding on to hope.

She emphasised the critical urgency of search efforts, noting that recovering their parents’ bodies is essential for the family to perform traditional Hindu last rites.

‘They’re all I have’: Families fear the worst

Umesh and Krishnam Sharma’s son Chitrak Sharma told 9News on Thursday that his parents headed to the country for a pilgrimage.

The pair is also among the missing Australians.

“They were very excited that they got the opportunity,” Chitrak said.

Umesh and Krishna Sharma were taking a pilgrimage to Nepal. Supplied

“It hadn’t started yet. Last I knew, they were at the border. I’ve just been trying to get in contact with them … trying to get updates on their whereabouts.

“I’ve been calling hospitals. I just want to find my parents. They’re all I have, really.”

Chitrak dropped his parents off at the airport last week. The last time he spoke to his mother was two days ago, right before the mountain collapsed.

“I said bye to them and I didn’t think it was the last time I was ever going to see them,” he said.

“I would do anything just to bring them home.”

Chitrak dropped his parents off at the airport last week and told 9News he is desperate to hear from them. Supplied

The Sharma’s were travelling with close family friends, the Iyers: Sreedharan, 52, Lakshmi, 50, Rishab, 23, and Rudhra, 20.

It was their first time undertaking the sacred Hindu pilgrimage.

“We grew up together, and the fact that we’re uncertain of where they are or how they are is really, really scary,” Chitrak said.

The Iyer family also remain unaccounted for while a Himalayan Glacier tour. Supplied

The West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook Cricket Club confirmed the Iyer brothers were members.

“Rishab and Rudhra Iyer are talented cricketers and long term valued members of our club,” operations director Ross Anderson told nine.com.au.

Anderson said they were holding out hope the brothers and their parents would be found safe.

Brisbane father-of-two Narayan Panthi was also on tour with them and his family friend, Amrit Bhusal, told 9News they have been trying to get in contact with him.

“We tried to contact his family and friends over in Nepal,” Bhusal said.

SOURCE: https://www.nine.com.au/world-news/asia/i-just-want-to-find-my-parents-what-we-know-about-the-missing-australians-in-nepal-20260828-p60sec.html

WHERE ARE MY MUM AND DAD? AUSTRALIAN FAMILIES ARE ...