Aussie families cling to hope in Nepal flood search

Families of Australians missing in the Nepal flood disaster remain hopeful amid the grim situation. Renee Spry, a disability support worker and mother of twin daughters, was on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash when the deadly inundation occurred. Her last known location was an immigration office on the Nepal-Tibet border, which was destroyed in the flood, as captured in shared footage.

Renee's sister, Clair, expressed that their family acknowledges the grim reality but maintains a glimmer of hope that she is stuck somewhere and unable to reach out. The family has set up a GoFundMe page to support Renee's partner and daughters, also urging donations to Save the Children for relief efforts. The Australian government has confirmed 42 citizens are among the nearly 3,000 still unaccounted for.

Assistant Minister Matt Thistlethwaite reassured that they haven't lost hope, citing the example of Cara Severino, a Sydney woman who was found safe after making contact with her parents. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reflected on the tragedy, emphasizing the immense devastation in a place of pilgrimage and holiday. Reshma Patel, a NSW mother-of-two, was on the same tour as Renee, while Michael Keats and Sumi Adhikari were also part of the group.

Nava Pandey, who traveled to Nepal to find information on Sumi's whereabouts, stressed that families shouldn't be left without answers. Jen Nai expressed her family's desperate wait for news of her brother-in-law Karan Bhardwaj, who was among others missing from a trek with US travel company Himalayan Glacier Adventures. Over 700 people have been confirmed dead, but the death toll is anticipated to rise as more bodies are discovered.