Kathmandu: South Korean government and corporate response teams are facing significant hurdles in reaching a hydropower plant construction site in Nepal, where nine South Koreans are still missing. Concerns over the potential for further flooding have compounded the difficulties, officials reported on Friday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the government's joint rapid response team made it to Kathmandu late Thursday. Meanwhile, corporate response teams from Doosan Enerbility Co. and Korea South-East Power Co. arrived early Friday morning. Together, the government and companies have secured six helicopters for search and rescue operations, although flight approval from Nepalese authorities remains pending.
"Helicopter travel is essential to reach the area, as roads and bridges have been washed away. But Nepalese authorities have restricted private helicopter operations over concerns about the possibility of additional flooding," a ministry official stated. The nine missing individuals, comprising six employees of Doosan and three from the power generation firm, were working at a construction site in the Rasuwa district when a flash flood and mudslide struck on Wednesday morning. Their offices and accommodations, situated in a low-lying area, are believed to have been swept away.
Families of the missing workers have urged the government to expedite helicopter deployment, emphasizing the urgency as nearly 48 hours have elapsed since the disaster. "Our only request is to get the helicopters flying as soon as possible," family members expressed at a press briefing on Friday. "We believe today is the golden time. Please send the helicopters."
Separately, nine out of ten other Doosan workers isolated in a different area were airlifted by Nepalese military helicopters to safety on Thursday. Their travel to Kathmandu was anticipated for Friday, though local conditions have left plans unconfirmed. The remaining worker, a Doosan site manager, opted to stay at the construction site with local employees until they could be evacuated.
The disaster in Nepal's north-central Himalayan region near the Nepal-Tibet border has tragically taken nearly 500 lives, with over 1,500 individuals still missing, based on foreign media reports. Nepal's disaster authorities have issued warnings about rising water levels in a newly formed lake upstream, created by debris blocking the river, which could collapse and lead to further devastation. Residents and rescue workers in downstream areas have been advised to avoid riverbanks and other high-risk zones.
In response to ongoing challenges, the South Korean government is contemplating the deployment of an overseas emergency relief team for additional search and rescue efforts. Seoul has expressed its intention to send the team and is in discussions with Nepalese authorities. The defense ministry plans to support the operation with a KC-330 Cygnus multirole tanker transport aircraft to deliver relief equipment and supplies, with coordination details being finalized with the foreign ministry.