Cara Severino, a 25-year-old Australian woman reported missing after catastrophic flash flooding in Nepal, has made contact with her family, confirming she is safe. She is the first of 39 Australians reported missing in the disaster to be confirmed safe.
Contact Made After Two Days
Severino's parents, Debbie and Frank Severino, confirmed in a statement that she contacted them on Friday morning to say she was safe. The contact came more than two days after she was reported missing following the flash flood that hit the China-Nepal border on Wednesday.
According to her parents, Severino had been hiking the Langtang trek and was stranded when communications went down. Her own phone had a flat battery, and she had no reception, which prevented earlier contact.
Long Trek to Kathmandu
Despite being safe, Severino is not yet out of danger. She is currently attempting to reach Kathmandu on foot, a trek of more than 110km, accompanied by a group of Nepali hikers. She called her parents from Gosainkunda, where she had managed to reach with the other hikers.
“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,” her parents said in a statement.
Devastating Toll
The flash flood has caused widespread devastation, with at least 469 people killed and more than 1,500 still missing. The disaster struck on Wednesday, and rescue efforts are ongoing.
Severino's parents expressed relief at the brief contact, saying, “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.”
