Nepal-China border area still almost cut off as search continues for 33 missing Australians
Nearly a week after devastating floods in Nepal, the Gyirong Port border area with China remains almost entirely inaccessible by road, with most of the 43 missing Australians last seen there. Aid groups have told families to prepare for the worst.
Nearly a week after catastrophic floods struck Nepal, the Gyirong Port border crossing with China remains almost entirely cut off, with no vehicle able to reach the area. Images from Chinese rescue teams, who reached the site on foot or by helicopter, show the area completely flattened, with the immigration building and power infrastructure destroyed.
The number of missing Australians rose to 43 on Monday, with at least 33 believed to have been near Gyirong Port just before the flood struck. Many had arrived at the immigration building only ten minutes before disaster hit. The missing had been travelling with several operators, including the Himalaya Glacier Company, the Isha Foundation, Kailash Journeys and Kathmandu Holiday Tours and Travel.
When phone connectivity briefly returned to the area on Monday, family members waiting in Kathmandu tried repeatedly to reach loved ones, without success. One relative said embassies had not been providing assistance.
A representative of Kailash Journeys said rescue work in the area had effectively concluded, with efforts now shifting to recovering bodies. Search teams have flown over the border by helicopter and checked local hospitals but found no trace of survivors.
Difficult rescue conditions
China is coordinating the rescue operation, with crews still needing to clear about 1.15km of road. A thick layer of mud is hampering the use of life-detection equipment, forcing rescuers to search by calling out for survivors. Further rain is forecast, raising the risk of additional flooding or landslides.
A disaster management expert from Charles Darwin University noted that while the first 72 hours are considered critical for survival chances, surviving beyond three days is not unheard of. In Nepal, at least 85 rescuers, including police and army personnel, remain missing.
On Sunday, the Isha Foundation told families to expect the worst, saying the valley near the border was covered in metres of debris and silt from the flood.
