Four Australians found safe in Nepal, but 38 others still missing
Rescue efforts are ongoing in Nepal and Tibet following the flood disaster. (Reuters: Adnan Abidi)
In short:
Four more Australians have been found safe after the devastating floods in Nepal and Tibet, but 38 others remain missing.
Families of those still missing are urging authorities to do more to find their loved ones.
At least 1,135 people have been killed and more than 4,000 others remain missing.
Four more Australians have been confirmed safe in the Nepal-Tibet flood disaster, but 38 others remain unaccounted-for as loved ones urge authorities to do more to find those missing.
Five Australian citizens have been located safe since Tuesday morning.
One person was found in Nepal and another in China, while three others were found outside the disaster zone.
The ABC understands those confirmed safe on Wednesday had not had contact with families or next of kin since the flood, and their welfare could not initially be confirmed.
Nepal said at least 1,114 people had died, while 3,916 people remained missing.
China's state media reported 21 dead and 541 missing, taking the overall number of reported dead to 1,135 and missing to more than 4,000.
At least 11,814 people have been rescued so far.
Excavators worked to move debris in the search for those trapped in Tibet. (cnsphoto via Reuters)
Rescuers are focusing on hydropower plant projects where hundreds of workers are believed to have been trapped.
Images released by Nepal's army show teams working through debris-filled tunnels to find signs of life.
Victorian resident Anamika Shrestha hopes her 65-year-old engineer father, Ganesh Mani Shrestha, is safe.
The Geelong mother of two said her father, who is not an Australian citizen, was working on a construction site at the Rasuwagadhi Integrated Customs Checkpoint on the Nepal-Tibet border.
She was frustrated it took rescue teams about six days to reach the area where her father had been and said more international help was needed.
Ganesh Mani Shrestha and Anamika Shrestha. (Supplied)
"We need specialised missing person search teams and then forensic and DNA support, and proper identification of anyone who has been recovered," Ms Shrestha said.
Her family is hopeful her father is alive but is also desperate to find his body if he has died.
"If we don't get the body … it's going to be really difficult for us thinking that maybe his soul is still not resting in peace," she said.
"At this stage we don't need any sympathy or reassurance, we just need timely action."
Her brother in Nepal has submitted DNA to authorities in the hope her father's body will be found and identified, but she said it could take months.
"We are still hoping he's safe somewhere. Most of the people are saying if he was safe then we would have heard about it already. It's been eight days now," she said.
The Australian government is providing $8 million in support for Nepal, with emergency supplies including shelter, hygiene and solar light kits delivered by the Australian Defence Force on Wednesday.
A Royal Australian Air Force C-17A Globemaster III has transported humanitarian assistance and disaster relief supplies to Nepal. (Supplied: Australian Defence Force/CPL Dana Millington)
Eighteen Australian response team personnel are also on the ground in Nepal to assist with the rescue efforts.
In China, rescue teams used search dogs to search rubble for people trapped at the Gyirong Port border crossing, which was completely destroyed.
Chinese state media reported on Wednesday that the road had been reopened and extra personnel were at the site to search for those missing.
Authorities have begun burying hundreds of unidentified bodies after DNA sampling, with mortuaries overflowing in Nepal.
At least 17 bodies have also been pulled from rivers downstream in India.
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