Nepal-Tibet flood: Beloved father and Air Force member among Aussies missing

A beloved father and member of the Royal Australian Air Force has been confirmed to be among the growing list of Australians missing in Nepal after a devastating flood.

The 40-year-old Brisbane father, Karan Bhardwaji, was travelling with Kailash Journeys when the flood demolished regions near the border of Tibet, China, on Wednesday, local time.

He is one of 41 Australians to have been impacted by the flood, only one of which is known to have made contact with their loved ones — 26-year-old Wollongong woman Cara Severino.

Severino was hiking the multi-day Langtang trek through Nepal when the flash flood hit and became stranded at Kyanjin Gompa.

Her parents reported the young Aussie, from Wollongong NSW, made contact with them on Friday morning.

“This morning she was able to call us from Gosainkunda where she has been able to reach along with some other Nepalese hikers,” her parents said in a statement.

But the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have fielded more than 450 calls from friends and loved ones of people in the region, many of which are yet to hear from them after the disaster.

Among the youngest Australians missing are Ashwin and Aarish Muralitharan, just 11 and 14, along with their parents.

The Iyer family of four - including two sons aged 21 and 24 - from Sydney’s Cherrybrook remain unaccounted for after travelling with tour operator Himalayan Glacier Adventures when disaster struck.

They had also travelled to the region with Venkatraman Balakrishnan and Chitra Venkatraman on a Himalayan pilgrimage when the flood hit.

Umesh and Krishna Sharma, aged 55 and 50 respectively, are also unaccounted for, as well as 37-year-old Michael Keats whose friend said he was at the immigration centre between Nepal and Tibet when the flood struck.

“We’re all very concerned and feel like there’s not much we can do. We will need a miracle to ensure his safety.”

Australian woman Sumi Adhikari was on a pilgrimage on the China-Nepal border when the catastrophic flash flooding hit.

Her husband Nava Pandey, who has not heard from her since, has travelled to the region from Sydney to find her, guided only by her iPhone’s last location.