15 Australians missing after flash flooding in Nepal, tour company confirms

A group of 15 Australians on a hiking tour in Nepal are unaccounted-for after devastating flooding struck the country on Wednesday morning.The group was travelling with US-based tour company Himalayan Glacier Adventures.The hiking company, based in the US and Nepal, said 15 Australian clients were on a tour affected by the catastrophic floods in the Langtang Valley.Company founder and chief executive Sagar Pandey said the group of 47 people also included nine Nepalese, two from the United Kingdom, two from Singapore, and others from the United States and Russia.He said he had not been able to contact the group since the flooding occurred.This morning Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed 34 Australians were missing after flash flooding swept through the area on the border of Nepal and China on Wednesday morning, local time.More than 150 people have died.Foreign Minister Penny Wong issued a statement saying the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) was working to confirm the status of Australians possibly affected."The loss of life and destruction caused by flash flooding in Nepal and China is devastating," Ms Wong said."Our thoughts are with the loved ones of those killed or missing and all affected by this disaster. DFAT officials are urgently working to confirm the welfare of Australians in the area."Flash flooding swept through Trishuli in Nuwakot district, Nepal. (Reuters: Navesh Chitrakar)DFAT is advising Australians in Nepal to exercise a high degree of caution due to the high risk of road accidents and natural disasters."Roads, transport and infrastructure are significantly damaged," it said.The department said transport services might be disrupted or cancelled and urged Australian travellers to contact their airline, bus operator or other transport provider to confirm schedules and travel arrangements before departure.Tour companies monitoring situationTourists are also being advised to monitor local news for updates.G Adventures, a Canada-based travel company, has confirmed "all travellers and staff are safe and accounted for".In a safety update, it said tours scheduled to travel through the area in the coming days were "being re-routed to avoid the affected area"."The safety of our travellers and the wider G Adventures Travel Community will always be our top priority," the company said.World Expeditions chief executive Sue Badyari said the company had confirmed all its clients and staff travelling in the country were safe."We are continuing to monitor the situation very closely with our local ground operators and authorities," she said."For travellers who may be caught up in or affected by the situation, the most important thing is to follow the advice of local authorities and their tour or expedition operator and not attempt to travel through affected areas until it is considered safe."Conditions can change very quickly following an event of this nature and local information is critical."Sue Badyari is the chief executive of World Expeditions, which runs tours in Nepal. (Supplied)Ms Badyari said the flash flooding occurred in the Rasuwa District near the Tibetan border, an area that is not on the standard Everest trekking route."That said, Nepal is a mountainous country and extreme weather can have wider impacts on roads, bridges, communications and access, so we are keeping a very close watch on conditions across the country," she said.Ms Badyari said it was too early to tell what effect the event would have on their future travel bookings."Our focus right now is on the people affected and on ensuring the safety of travellers currently in Nepal," she said."We will continue to assess conditions and make any necessary itinerary changes in consultation with our local partners and communicate directly with affected travellers."'Looks like it was just taken out'Himalayan Guiding Australia owner Seane Pieper has been travelling to one of the affected villages for decades with tour groups and said he had seen footage showing it being struck by the flood.Sean Peiper says this bridge over the Bhotekosi River in Syabrubesi was likely destroyed in the flooding, based on the footage he has seen. (Supplied: Seane Pieper)"That village is one I go to a couple of times a year," he said."It's the main sort of road head to start the popular trek up to the Langtang Valley in Nepal."It's quite usual to see quite a few foreign tourists there and Australians … and the whole thing just looks like it was taken out."They wouldn't have even seen what was coming because that gorge is so narrow, and it comes around a corner and then 'bang.'"Mr Pieper said none of his staff or clients were in the area at the time of the flash flooding.He added that the area had also been affected by an earthquake in 2015."Entire communities and villages were decimated then and they've rebuilt in the inexorable way that Nepalis sort of rebuild," he said."They're very kindly and giving people and you develop really strong relationships. They're always grateful to have you stay there with a group."He said tour companies were an important part of the local economy."Obviously it brings in much needed income, but you become really close to them and just because they're so grateful and giving, it's really easy to develop strong relationships," he said.Seane Pieper typically operates tour groups in Nepal in the area now devastated by flooding. (Supplied: Sean Pieper)Intrepid Travel not affected by floodingIntrepid Travel also confirmed none of its customers or team members were caught up in the disaster."Intrepid operates 26 itineraries in Nepal, however only two of these itineraries pass through the affected region," a statement from the company said."Neither of those trips was operating at the time of the flooding, meaning we had no travellers in the affected area."Yalamber Rai of Intrepid Travel says none of their customers or staff were impacted by the flash flooding. (Supplied)The company's general manager for Nepal Yalamber Rai said they were "deeply saddened by the catastrophic flooding"."The scale of the disaster is devastating, with significant loss of life and reports of many people still missing," he said in a statement."Beyond the tragic loss of life, this disaster is expected to have lasting impacts on livelihoods, trade, tourism, local businesses and critical infrastructure across the affected region."A bridge has collapsed after a major flash flooding in Nepal.Mr Rai said the safety of customers, staff and hosts was the company's highest priority."We are closely monitoring developments and continuing to assess the impact on current trips, transportation services, accommodations, and upcoming departures," he said."We will adapt our operations as needed to ensure the safety of our customers and team members. "We are also focused on supporting the wellbeing of our local partners and host communities and are exploring ways we can assist those affected as they navigate the challenges ahead."