The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed a Melbourne woman, Renu Fotedar, was among thousands killed in the devastating earthquake that hit Nepal on Saturday.
On Monday night the foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop, said she feared there would be more Australian victims.
More than 4,000 people are believed to have been killed but Bishop said she expected the final count to be “well in excess” of this.
Fotedar, who reportedly has two children, died in an avalanche with 19 others at the Mount Everest base camp.
Temba Tsheri Sherpa from Dreamers Destination Trek and Expeditions confirmed Fotedar’s body was on the way to Kathmandu.
“A big avalanche came and a lot of people were washed away. There was no time,” he told News Corp Australia.
“It so fast it was like a dream. They couldn’t do anything. There was a big sound. They didn’t get the chance to run away. There was no place to hide.”
Fotedar was a holistic and transpersonal counsellor. Her website noted that she was to be on a 59-day Everest expedition. She had been living in Switzerland for three years.
