Australian traveller found safe following Nepal-Tibet flash floods

One of the dozens of Australians unaccounted for following the catastrophic flash floods in Nepal has been located safe and well, the Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed.

DFAT said officials were in contact with the Australian, who is in Tibet, China, earlier today.

DFAT was unable to provide further details about the person, including their identity, but said they are receiving consular support and have spoken with their family.

The news comes days after missing 26-year-old Australian hiker Cara Severino called her family from the disaster zone to let them know she was alive.

The numbers of Australians unaccounted for after the disaster is now 42.

“We’re incredibly thankful another Australian, who had been unaccounted for, has now been found,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement.

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“It’s hard to imagine the sense of relief their loved ones must be feeling after what will have been an incredibly harrowing few days.

“Despite this second piece of welcome news in recent days, we must remain realistic about the days ahead.”

She said approximately 4000 people remain missing and the search and recovery teams were working under “extremely challenging” conditions, with communications infrastructure destroyed and many areas still inaccessible.

“As each day passes, our grave concerns for those still unaccounted for inevitably grow,” Wong said.

“Our thoughts remain firmly with all those waiting for news of family and friends, and with the search and rescue teams working in extraordinarily difficult circumstances.”

She said the government was doing everything it can to support Australians and their families.

The death toll from the catastrophic flooding disaster passed 1000 on Tuesday, authorities said, as rescue teams worked to reach communities cut off by the disaster.

Nepal’s disaster agency said Tuesday that 987 deaths had been counted there, with 3916 people missing, including 583 foreigners.

Chinese authorities reported 16 deaths in their most recent update on Sunday.

Wednesday’s disaster began with a chain of events high in the Himalayas.

A glacial collapse sent large amounts of rock, ice and meltwater into valleys below, triggering powerful floods downstream.

Scientists studying satellite imagery said the collapse appears to have involved the failure of bedrock beneath a glacier in the Himalayan region.

The rockfall was powerful enough to register as a magnitude 5.2 seismic event.

– reported with Associated Press