Crisis alert

If you’re in an area that has been directly affected by flooding and landslides:

• follow the advice of local authorities
• contact your family, next of kin or travel provider to let them know you’re safe
• postpone overland travel between Nepal and Tibet, China, including Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar circuits.

There is a high risk of further flash flooding and landslides. Stay on high ground, away from:

• riverbanks
• low-lying areas and river valleys
• areas that are showing landslide warning signs. 

Roads, transport services and infrastructure in the affected area have been significantly damaged.

If you're travelling as part of a tour, contact your tour operator or travel agent for updates and support.

Read our advice on:

• staying safe when there's a natural disaster
• what to do if there's a landslide or mudslide while you're overseas
• what to do if there's a flood while you're overseas

Read and subscribe to our travel advice for:

• Nepal
• China

Reconsider travel to flood-affected areas. Roads, transport and local services may be disrupted, and there’s an ongoing risk of flooding and landslides. Additional visitors may place pressure on emergency workers and local communities.

Monitor local media. Follow the instructions of local authorities.

If you can’t continue your trip, or your planned route travels through an affected area, contact 

• your travel provider to see if they can help you
• your insurer to discuss the assistance available under your policy. 

If you have travel insurance, contact your insurer, even if you are unsure you have a claim. Cover may be available for travel disruption. Your insurer's emergency assistance team may also be able to help in other ways, such as arranging evacuation or rebooking flights and accommodation.

We continue to update our travel advisories for Nepal and China with destination-specific information. Subscribe to get email alerts when any advice changes.

Border crossings

Road access to remaining land border crossings between Tibet, China and Nepal may be unsafe. If you choose to travel by vehicle to a land border crossing, ensure your guide or driver exercises a high degree of caution. 

Nepal

Transport services may be disrupted or cancelled. Check with your airline, tour operator, travel agent or other travel provider before departure to confirm schedules and travel arrangements before going to the airport or station.

DFAT doesn’t provide information on the safety of individual aircraft, including helicopters, or flight paths. Consider your personal safety before you travel. Research providers carefully, including safety and maintenance standards. See the travel advice for Nepal for more information. 

Tibet, China

If you need to leave Tibet, commercial flights continue to operate from Lhasa and Shigatse.

Reconsider travel to the affected areas to look for someone who is out of contact.

We are making every effort to confirm the welfare of Australians known to be in the affected area. We have assigned a dedicated and experienced case officer to each next of kin of missing Australians. They are providing ongoing support and a consistent point of contact.

Phone and internet services may still be unreliable in the affected areas. 

If you’re concerned about an Australian:

• keep trying to contact them via phone, text, email and social media
• reach out to their family, friends, travelling companions or their tour company.

You can also contact the Consular Emergency Centre on:

• +61 2 6261 3305 (if you're overseas)   
• 1300 555 135 (in Australia).

Emergency hotlines in China and Nepal

China and Nepal have opened English-language hotlines you can contact if you are concerned about someone missing after the floods. 

China

Call:

• (+86) 891 681 7165
• (+86) 183 080 26705

For registering non-Chinese citizens only. International call charges may apply.

Nepal 

Call or WhatsApp:

• +977-9744441227 
• +977-9744441228

International call charges may apply.

Email:

• emergency@mofa.gov.np

Australian Red Cross

The Red Cross has tracing services to help Australians connect with people affected by the floods. 

Call:

• 1800 875 199

Email: 

• tracing@redcross.org.au

The humanitarian impact of this disaster is expected to be significant. Local infrastructure and services will be affected for some time. Be respectful of the ongoing impacts on local communities. 

If you’re planning to travel to Nepal or Tibet, China, in the next week:

• contact your tour operator or travel agent to ask if your trip is affected
• consider delaying your trip or changing your plans to avoid the affected areas.

If your trip is in the coming weeks or months, wait for your travel provider to contact you before making changes. 

If you're cancelling or changing your trip, contact your travel insurer to check what your policy covers. Speak with your tour operator or airline about refunds or rebooking options.

Travel insurance bought before the flooding and landslides occurred is more likely to cover related disruptions. Contact your insurer to understand how your policy applies to your circumstances.

We continue to update our travel advisories for Nepal and China with destination-specific information. Subscribe to get email alerts when any advice changes.

Reconsider travel to flood-affected areas. Travelling to these areas may place further pressure on local response efforts and limited services.

Access to affected areas is limited. Reliable information may be difficult to get while damage assessments continue.

If you decide to travel to Nepal or Tibet, China, read the latest Smartraveller advice and subscribe for email updates. 

Before you travel:

• check visa requirements
• understand safety risks
• ensure you have appropriate travel insurance
• save emergency contact numbers in your phone and print a hardcopy to take with you.

24-hour Consular Emergency Centre

If you are an Australian citizen and need emergency consular assistance, contact the Consular Emergency Centre on

• +61 2 6261 3305 (if you're overseas)  
• 1300 555 135 (in Australia).

Australian Embassy, Katmandu

300 metres north-east of Narayan Gopal Chowk (Ring Road)
Bansbari, Kathmandu
Phone: +977 1 437 1678
Email: austembassy.kathmandu@dfat.gov.au
Website: nepal.embassy.gov.au
Facebook: Australian Embassy, Nepal
X: @AusAmbNP 

Australian Embassy, Beijing

21 Dongzhimenwai Dajie
Sanlitun, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100600
Phone: (+86 10) 5140 4111
Fax: (+86 10) 5140 4292
Website: china.embassy.gov.au
Social media: WeChat, X (formerly Twitter)

If you are experiencing distress or are seeking mental health support, contact one of the following free services: 

• Lifeline: 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au
• Beyond Blue: 1300 22 46 36 or beyondblue.org.au
• 13YARN: 13 92 76 (for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people)
• Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 or kidshelpline.com.au
• Headspace: 1800 650 850 or headspace.org.au
• ReachOut: reachout.com
• SANE Australia: 1800 18 SANE (1800 187 263) or sane.org
• Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467
• Medicare Mental Health: 1800 595 212 or medicarementalhealth.gov.au

Information on Australia’s humanitarian assistance and how you can help is available on the DFAT website.   

Only contribute through reputable, verified organisations like the Nepal-Tibet Flood Disaster - Emergency Action Alliance. Scammers may take advantage of major disasters through fake fundraising appeals.

We will update our travel advisories for Nepal and China with destination-specific information. Subscribe to get email alerts when any advice changes. 

Follow @smartraveller on Facebook, Instagram and X for travel advice alerts.

Embassies and Consulates across the region are sharing updates across their social media as they become available. 

Follow the social media of:

• the Australian Embassy in Katmandu 
  Facebook
  X (formerly Twitter)
• the Australian Embassy in Beijing
  WeChat
  X (formerly Twitter)