The federal government has contacted 1,150 Australians listed as missing after the Nepal earthquake. The foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop says they are “safe and well” and have been offered flights out of the country.
“We will continue to search for any Australians who are unaccounted for but I’m pleased to confirm that 1,150 have been accounted for,” she said.
The quake triggered an avalanche at the Mount Everest base camp on Sunday, killing at least 18 people including Melbourne woman, Renu Fotedar.
Bishop extended her condolences to Fotedar’s friends and family.
“Her family are in Kathmandu and our embassy are providing consular assistance to them,” she told the Nine Network.
The government is urging Australians in Nepal to contact the Australian embassy in Nepal in order to get a commercial flight home.
“We will have an air force plane taking humanitarian supplies over and so it can take Australians to Bangkok where they can get a commercial flight home if they are unable to get out of Nepal,” Bishop said.
Australia said it was raising its aid to $US4.7 million and sending humanitarian supplies to Nepal in order to evacuate stranded Australian citizens.
TOP IMAGE: Nepalese residents walk past road damage following an earthquake in Kathmandu on April 26, 2015. (Prakash Mathema/AFP/Getty Images)