WORLD · VERIFIED DEVELOPMENT
Floods Leave 33 Australians Missing in Nepal‑China Border, Area Cut Off
WHY IT MATTERS
The inaccessibility of the site hampers rescue efforts, leaving families without closure and underscoring the urgency of coordinated flood response and infrastructure resilience in border regions.
What happened
A week after catastrophic floods hit Nepal, 33 Australians remain missing near Gyirong Port on the Nepal‑China border. Rescuers report the area is now destroyed, covered in metres of silt and debris, and no vehicle can reach it.
Chinese rescue teams have accessed the site only by helicopter or on foot, finding the port flattened and the immigration building and power lines wiped away. The majority of the missing were last heard from minutes before the flood struck.
Search operations continue under these severe conditions, with teams working around the clock to locate survivors.
PRIMARY SOURCES
Border area between Nepal and China where 33 Australians are missing still almost entirely cut off
The Guardian · Cait Kelly in Kathmandu · Discovery only; Guardian content licensing terms apply