‘We praise God’: Australian woman feared missing in Nepal flooding makes contact with family

Cara Severino has spoken with her parents – but still faces a trek of more than 110km to reach Kathmandu on foot

An Australian woman has made contact with her family, more than two days after she was reported missing in flash flooding in Nepal.

At least 584 people have been killed and more than 1,900 are missing after a catastrophic flash flood hit the China-Nepal border on Wednesday. Cara Severino, 25, is the first of 41 Australians reported missing in the tragedy who has been confirmed safe.

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But she is still hiking away from the disaster zone, attempting to reach Kathmandu on foot with a group of Nepali hikers – a trek of more than 110km.

Her parents, Debbie and Frank Severino, confirmed in a statement that she had no phone reception, and her own phone had a flat battery, but that she had contacted them on Friday morning to say she was safe.

“She was hiking the Langtang trek and was stranded,” they said in a statement. “With communications down we had no contact.”

“This morning she was able to call us from Gosainkunda where she has been able to reach along with some other [Nepali] hikers. We understand that they are attempting to reach Kathmandu on foot.

“We eagerly await more information about her safe return. We praise God that she has been able to make this brief contact with us. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the families awaiting news.”

As of Friday evening, 38 Australians were missing. Of the 35 missing Australians whose details were released by Nepali police, Severino was the only one not listed as travelling with a tour agency. On Saturday that figure was updated to 41.

The others were from four other groups, many of them organised to take part in the Mount Kailash Hindu pilgrimage in the region.