Australians missing in Nepal targeted by ‘heartbreaking’ and ‘abhorrent’ racist slurs

Rescue efforts are ongoing in Nepal and Tibet after devastating floods triggered by a glacier collapse in the Himalayas. The overall death toll stands at 919, with at least 4,793 people missing. In Nepal, 903 people have been confirmed dead and 4,247 missing, according to the country's disaster authority. The missing include 592 foreigners, 933 workers on hydropower projects, 45 Nepali army soldiers, 38 police and armed police officers, and 19 customs and immigration officers.

In Tibet, Chinese state media report 16 dead and 546 people missing. Indian authorities have recovered 17 bodies from rivers flowing from Nepal, but these are not included in the toll. The floods have also affected Australians, with 43 reported missing. Community members have appealed for compassion in the face of hateful rhetoric, as racist social media comments have been made towards the Australians missing in the floods.

The Australian government and other authorities are working to assist the families of those affected. In one case, the Penang government is looking to assist the families of two Penang climbers reported missing while hiking in Nepal's Langtang Valley. A South Korean team has also begun a ground search for nine missing nationals, after failing to secure helicopter clearance due to bad weather and restrictions on foreign helicopters.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Guardian Australia, Malay Mail, IOL, New Straits Times, The Korea Times — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.