Number of Australians missing in Nepal’s deadly floods rises again, as Albanese deploys more personnel

The number of Australians reported missing in Nepal's catastrophic flooding has increased to 41, with three additional individuals confirmed missing overnight. This follows a family's relief when a missing woman named Cara Severino, 25, was able to contact her parents, Debbie and Frank Severino, on Friday morning. Severino had been hiking away from the disaster zone towards Kathmandu with a group of Nepali hikers for more than 110km.

The Australian government's Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) has been collaborating with local authorities to locate missing Australians and deliver aid. As of Friday evening, DFAT had received over 450 calls regarding the disaster, and the Nepali disaster management agency reported 1,924 people still unaccounted for, including 517 foreign tourists.

Aid organizations are working to provide emergency shelters, food, safe drinking water, hygiene supplies, and medical care to affected communities. However, rescue operations are hampered by fears of further flooding and logistical challenges. Four additional crisis response team officers and four rapid response team members, specializing in communications, logistics, and planning, are scheduled to arrive in Kathmandu later on Saturday to bolster Australia's humanitarian response. Australia has pledged $5 million in aid and support for the disaster.