Nepal floods: Four-member Australian Malayali family among missing

A four-member Australian Malayali family of Ponnani origin is among those reported missing following devastating floods and flash floods in Nepal.

Sreedharan Iyer, 54, his wife Lakshmi Sreedharan Iyer, 49, and their children Rishab Sreedharan Iyer, 23, and Rudra Sreedharan Iyer, 20, were on a pilgrimage to Manasarovar when contact with relatives was lost.

The family, originally from Eeshwar Niwas in Ponnani, has been living in Sydney for several years. They arrived at Kathmandu airport on August 21 before travelling to Rasuwa, one of the areas badly affected by the disaster. Their last contact with relatives in Kerala was from the region.

Relatives from Ponnani have travelled to Nepal and joined efforts to trace the family. Ponnani MLA K P Noushad Ali said there were indications that the family may have moved to a safer location before the floods.

The hotel where they were staying is reportedly safe, while there are indications they checked out after receiving a warning about the disaster and may have travelled towards Kathmandu.

The wider disaster has claimed at least 626 lives in Nepal and seven in Tibet, while nearly 2,500 people remain missing. More than 93,000 people have been affected, with rescue teams continuing operations in areas cut off by damaged roads, bridges and communication networks.

Authorities are assessing whether damaged communications prevented the family from contacting relatives. As Australian citizens, the Australian High Commission is coordinating with authorities as the search continues.