Tasmania’s Nepalese community is anxiously waiting for news after catastrophic flash flooding killed at least 160 people in Nepal.
A wall of mud and rock collapsed into a river on the border with Tibet today, with floodwaters wiping away homes, roads, bridges and anything else in their path.
Officials in Nepal said 403 people were reported missing, including 341 foreign nationals.
At least 34 Australians have been reported missing.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff has offered his condolences to Tasmania’s Nepalese community, releasing a statement expressing sympathy for those affected.
“We know a number of lives have been lost and the destruction caused by the flash flooding is unimaginably tragic,” he said.
“This is a time to wrap our arms around the Nepalese community here in Tasmania and across the country.”
Rockliff said the state government would continue to engage with authorities as the situation unfolded.
Rojina Tamrakar, past president of the Nepali Society of Tasmania, told ABC Radio the news was devastating for the local community.
“It’s a really, really hard time waking up with the very devastating news,” she said.
“I can feel how hard it is for people whose relatives or the close ones were around that area.”
Tamrakar said the flooding hit a mountainous and remote area near Bhotekoshi, where difficult terrain and poor roads would make rescue efforts extremely challenging.
She described the disaster as the worst to strike Nepal since the 2015 earthquake.
“The terrain is really remote. I would say and getting things over there, it is difficult,” she said.
“We have to wait for Nepal’s government to see what we are in need for so that we can ask the international government or international people to help out.”
Tasmanians overseas in need of emergency consular assistance should contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s consular emergency centre on +61 2 6261 3305.
