The Australian government has updated its travel advice for Nepal and China to reconsider travel to flood-affected areas along the two countries’ shared border, as the number of missing Australians rose to 42 – six of them stranded on the Chinese side.
Smartraveller now advises against non-essential travel within 50 kilometres of the Trishuli River in Nepal’s Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Nawalpur and Gorkha districts, and to Gyirong County in Tibet, following catastrophic flash flooding and mudslides on 26 August that are believed to have been triggered by a glacier collapse near Langtang Lirung.
The advisory extends specifically to the Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar pilgrimage circuits, with Smartraveller telling travellers to postpone all overland travel between Nepal and Tibet as transport services remain disrupted or cancelled. The Rasuwagadhi–Gyirong crossing, the main gateway used by most Kailash-bound pilgrimage groups, was largely destroyed in the flooding.
For travel advisors with clients booked into the region in the coming week, Smartraveller’s advice is to contact the tour operator or DMC directly to check whether the itinerary is affected, and to consider delaying or rerouting around the disaster zone. Clients with trips planned in the coming weeks or months are advised to wait for their travel provider to make contact before changing plans. Anyone cancelling or amending a booking should check their travel insurance policy and speak to their tour operator or airline about refund or rebooking options.
Most of the missing Australians were on pilgrimage tours to Kailash and Manasarovar, one of Hinduism, Buddhism and Bon’s most significant sites, when the flood struck. Operators named by families and reported missing groups include Himalayan Glacier Adventures (15 Australian clients), Kailash Journeys (six clients) and Kathmandu Holiday Tours and Travels (one client), along with three groups travelling with the Isha Foundation’s Kailash Sojourn pilgrimage, which accounted for 11 of the missing Australians.
Foreign minister Penny Wong and international development minister Anne Aly have announced a AU$5 million assistance package for affected communities, alongside additional Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) crisis-response staff being deployed to the Kathmandu post. DFAT is also engaging directly with Nepalese and Chinese authorities, though families of Australians missing on the Chinese side of the border have raised concerns about the pace of information-sharing given China’s tighter access restrictions in Tibet.
Australians with concerns for family or friends in the region can contact DFAT’s 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on 1300 555 135 within Australia, or +61 2 6261 3305 from overseas.
Agents should note the disaster has not affected all Nepal-Tibet crossings – the separate Dram/Zhangmu route via Kodari remains operational – but should confirm current routing and status directly with ground operators before advising clients on itineraries into the region.
