Key facts
- A South Korean government joint rapid response team has started a ground search for nine missing citizens in Nepal.
- The team includes officials from the foreign ministry, police, and fire authorities.
- The missing South Koreans were employees of Doosan Enerbility Co. and Korea South-East Power Co.
- They were working at a hydroelectric power plant construction site in the Rasuwa district when floods and landslides occurred.
- Helicopter operations for the search are currently not possible due to weather and Nepali regulations.
- The team is also planning a drone search, pending local approval.
A South Korean government team has initiated a ground search for nine of its citizens who went missing in massive floods in Nepal. The team, comprising officials from the foreign ministry, police, and fire authorities, began its efforts on Monday after failing to secure permission for helicopter operations due to adverse weather and restrictions imposed by Nepali authorities on foreign helicopters.
The team plans to travel to Ramche, approximately 1-2 kilometers from the site where the nine South Koreans disappeared, and establish a temporary camp. They are also seeking approval for a drone search. The missing individuals were employees working at the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project, a facility under construction by Doosan Enerbility Co. and Korea South-East Power Co. in the Rasuwa district, when the devastating floods and landslides struck last Wednesday.
Despite the challenges in obtaining helicopter clearance, the South Korean government is making all necessary preparations for aerial searches. Officials have been in contact with the chief of Nepal Police and representatives of the Nepal Army, urging them to continue their search operations. The response team is also interviewing Nepali survivors to gather details about the movements of the missing South Koreans. The floods in Nepal have resulted in over 800 deaths and left approximately 3,000 people missing, according to foreign media reports.