Townsville mum, Sydney dad among Australians missing in Nepal

Townsville mother, Sydney father among Australians missing in Nepal In short: Authorities say 43 Australians remain missing after devastating flooding in the Nepal-Tibet border region. Among them are Townsville disability worker Renee Spry and Sydney IT worker Gopi Krishna Naidu Agastya. More than 2,400 people are unaccounted-for and search efforts are continuing. As rescue efforts continue along the Nepal-Tibet border following catastrophic floods, more Australian families are appealing for information about loved ones still missing in the region. Townsville mother of two Renee Spry, who was on her way home from Nepal when flash flooding struck, is among the 43 Australians unaccounted-for. Ms Spry, aged in her early 50s, was one of several Australians who arrived at the Gyirong Port on the Nepal-Tibet border about 10 minutes before the disaster began. Her sister, Clair Spry, said the disability support worker had just completed a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and was due to return home shortly after. "Our beloved sister Renee is still missing from the Tibet-Nepal border after the devastating events from this week," her sister wrote on social media. "We continue to pray for her, the Nepalese people and those also still [yet] to return to the safety [of] their homes and families." Ms Spry's husband is trying to travel to Nepal to assist with the search for his wife. Sydney IT worker Gopi Krishna Naidu Agastya is also missing in Nepal. His friend, Pavan Kurucheti, said the 45-year-old father of two was at an immigration building on the Gyirong border crossing when the flash flood hit. Mr Agastya was among Australians travelling with the Isha Foundation, a spiritual organisation that facilitates pilgrimages to the sacred region. Many of the 43 Australians missing after the disaster were pilgrims trekking from Nepal into Tibet to visit Mount Kailash, a site revered by four different religions. Mr Agastya's wife, children, family and friends are anxiously waiting for news of the Parramatta resident, Mr Kurucheti said, urging anyone with information to reach out. Nepalis in Australia touched by flood tragedy The pain of the tragedy unfolding is being felt by Nepalis in some of the most remote parts of Australia. Madhu Banthee, a resident of Santa Teresa, a tiny town south-east of Alice Springs, said there were 400 to 500 Nepali people living in Central Australia and that four or five families in the region had been affected by the disaster, including himself. He has not heard from his best friend and Nepali authorities believe more than 2,400 people are still missing. More than 250 people attended a vigil to show support and solidarity for the Nepali community in Alice Springs last night. "My own story, you know, I had my best mate who lives in Brisbane and he was there in Nepal," Mr Banthee said. "He was alive just two hours before the flood … we didn't hear any messages after that flood. "I can imagine the families who lost their immediate families there … so it's a very, very tough time." Mr Banthee said he still had hope for people who were missing. "We heard lots of stories about miracles … I'm just waiting [for] the miracles," he said. Mr Banthee said some community members were keen to give hands-on support and that others were planning fundraisers to send money home. Yesterday the Australian government announced it would increase its humanitarian assistance for Nepal to $8 million. Assistant Foreign Minister Matt Thistlewaite said this funding would mostly go towards the supply of hygiene kits. "There's a desperate need for these kits for people in the region and also solar lights," he said. "Obviously all of the power and telecommunications infrastructure has been wiped out. "So those kits are being put together, they'll be transported by the Australian Defence Force over the coming days." Loading...