Key facts
- Australia deployed a 15-member disaster response team, including drone pilots, to Nepal.
- The team was sent to aid in the search for survivors after catastrophic Himalayan floods.
- The Australian government expressed serious concerns for its 36 citizens who remain missing.
- Over 1,200 people have been confirmed dead and some 5,000 remain missing after a glacier collapse on August 26.
- 583 foreign nationals are among the missing, according to the Nepal government.
Australia has dispatched a 15-member disaster response team, primarily composed of drone pilots, to Nepal to assist in the search for survivors of catastrophic floods triggered by a glacier collapse on August 26. The deployment follows a request from the Nepali government, which is grappling with over 1,200 confirmed deaths and approximately 5,000 missing people, including 583 foreign nationals. Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers stated that 36 Australian citizens remain unaccounted for, while Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed that 19 Australians, including consular and police personnel, were already in Nepal. The Australian team is equipped with drones capable of surveying large areas and navigating confined spaces, aiming to locate potential survivors. Seven Australian Federal Police disaster victim identification specialists are also en route. Despite fading hopes of finding survivors, rescue efforts continue along the border with China.