‘How do I not crumble?’ Loved ones of Australians missing in Nepal-Tibet floods fear others are turning away

‘What if I graduate and they’re not there? Everything you do, you do to make them proud’ … Sydney student Akash Venkatraman’s parents are missing in Nepal Photograph: The Guardian

Akash Venkatraman’s parents wished him a happy 22nd birthday before they left for Nepal on a spiritual pilgrimage.

Three days later, a glacial collapse sent a torrent of mud, water and debris through the Nepal-Tibet border, bursting the banks of the Trishuli River, and sweeping away homes, bridges and roads.