Nepal earthquake: more than 200 Australians confirmed safe
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Version 0 of 1. More than 200 Australians were confirmed safe on Sunday after a massive earthquake in Nepal killed more than 1,800 people, levelled buildings in Kathmandu and caused deadly avalanches reaching the heights of Everest. All foreign countries have rushed to confirm the situation of their nationals in Nepal after Saturday’s quake. Authorities are still trying to contact hundreds of other Australians – 549 are registered as travelling in Nepal. The foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop, said on Sunday: “While there are reports of extensive loss of life, at this point there are no reports of Australian deaths.” Twitter and Facebook pages are showing images of Australians in Nepal and many families have reported dozens of loved ones missing on the Red Cross’s Family Links website. One is 24-year-old Sydney business owner Matthew Graves, who was travelling through Pokhara. His brother, Mitch Graves, is at home in Sydney waiting for news while their parents are overseas in America. “It’s a bit of a struggle trying to communicate to everyone. It is a waiting game at the moment,” he said. In Australia, officials, families and friends were appealing for information about a list of missing that could stretch into the dozens. Families put more than 60 names on the Red Cross Family Links website. Related: Nepal earthquake: death toll exceeds 1,800 and terror reaches heights of Everest – rolling report A teenager from the state of Victoria and his aunt were among those being sought. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation said they were Liam Coburn Oliver, 18, and his aunt, Dianne Joy Coburn, 59. Liam’s brother, Darcy Oliver, said on Twitter that he was searching for information about Liam, who had been travelling from Change, in Nepal’s east, to Dharpani, on the Annapurna Circuit. He was not sure where his aunt was when the quake struck. Ballantyne Paige Forder, from Perth in Western Australia, was believed to have been working in an orphanage in Kathmandu at the time of the quake. My sister near the centre of #earthquake in #Napal. Any news greatly appreciated on Ballantyne Forder @abcnews pic.twitter.com/DbkKcm1iGO Her Tasmanian-based sister, Amanda-Sue Markham, said on Nine Network television: “We’re trying not to get too worried but of course the pictures that are emerging out of Nepal – we’re trying not to look at them.” Forder was due to return to Australia on Wednesday, her sister said, and to celebrate her 21st birthday in a few days. Dan Fredinburg, a senior executive at Google, was among more than a dozen people confirmed killed by an avalanche that swept through Everest base camp. Related: Google's Dan Fredinburg was 'charismatic and always the centre of attention' Tom Briggs, marketing director for Jagged Globe, a Sheffield-based climbing and adventure company, confirmed the news “with the greatest sorrow”. Two other climbers, Paul Greenan, from Dublin, and British-born Richard Brooks, from Sydney, suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries including broken ribs, arm and pelvis. “They saw the avalanche coming and were able to make a run for it but the camp was right in the middle of it,” said Briggs. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to Dan’s family and friends.” A spokeswoman for Intrepid – a company that arranges treks in Nepal and around the Everest region – confirmed it had some groups that included British people in the area and said it was trying to get in touch with the tour groups. A number of other Britons were said to have been out of contact since the quake struck. Several were listed on Google’s Person Finder tool including Sebastian Lovera, a 22-year-old qualified skiing and diving instructor, from Tonbridge, Kent. His last known location was Khumjung on Tuesday, from where he was heading towards Everest base camp. His stepfather, Greg Smye-Rumsby, said: “Sebastian is an extremely lively and self-motivating person and that is why he went to Nepal. “We haven’t heard from him. He would not have switched his phone off. We have tried ringing it. Sometimes it rings and sometimes we get an answer but it’s an automated answer. It says the phone is switched off. He’s certainly not a person to take risks. He’s the absolute opposite.” Another Briton feared missing was Laura Wood, 23, from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. She was described by a friend as a “glowing lovely beautiful young girl often dressed in hippy-type clothing”. Wood, who was described as having a strong northern English accent, had been trekking in the Himalayas without any means of making contact. The Australian actor Hugh Sheridan was pleading for information about his 20-year-old brother, Zachary: Please. Anyone who is awake, please pray for my little brother Zachary who is on Mt Everest, I'd appreciate every prayer you have spare x The families of two Queensland friends believed to be on a hike to the Mount Everest base camp are also desperate for news of their whereabouts. Ben Flanders and Jai Williams, both from the Brisbane area, were due to reach the camp on Saturday, Jai’s mother, Deb Williams, said. Other people from Melbourne, South Australia and Tasmania are also on the Red Cross list. Bishop says officials are working under challenging conditions to locate all Australians in the country. The federal government has committed $5m in assistance, half of which will go to Australian non-government organisations. An Australian crisis response team will travel to Nepal as soon as possible. Sir Edmund Hillary’s son, Peter, had been trekking in Nepal when the earthquake struck but was “fine”, his wife, Yvonne Oomen, told the Australian Associated Press. Hillary had been with a group of 12 people in the Gorak Shep region. “They were all New Zealanders – they were a group of old school chums, Peter’s old school chums,” she said. Sir Edmund, a New Zealander, and Tenzing Norgay made the first ascent of Everest on 29 May, 1953. New Zealand said it had confirmed about 100 of its citizens were alive and well in Nepal, but efforts were continuing to find others. The Press Association and AAP contributed to this report |