Chinese survivor rescued in search for 9 Koreans still missing 12 days after Nepal floods

KATHMANDU, Nepal — There was no trace of the nine missing Koreans as of Sunday, the 12th day since devastating floods struck Nepal. Efforts by the Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) have been hampered by worsening weather and the Nepalese military’s refusal to allow searches on foot near the disaster site, as the families wait for any piece of news. 

The dramatic rescue of a Chinese survivor from a tunnel at the hydropower plant where the Koreans were working has only exasperated the families awaiting news that their loved ones may still be alive.

The KDRT, deployed to Nepal to search for the nine missing Koreans, began full-scale search operations Thursday after consultations with Nepalese authorities. On Saturday, the team rescued a Chinese national from a tunnel at the construction site of the Upper Trishuli-1 hydropower plant.

Video released by the KDRT showed Korean rescue workers crawling into a dark tunnel covered in mud and sludge. They also waded through river water as high as their waists as they searched for survivors. The team eventually rescued Lu Haitao 225 meters (738 feet) inside the hydropower plant tunnel.

“Every time I saw the rescuers’ lights in the distance, I shouted as loudly as I could,” Lu told the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. “When the rescuers came and found me, I really couldn’t believe it.”

Korean and Nepalese search teams have continued operations based on Lu’s account that there was one more Chinese survivor nearby.

The search for the nine missing Koreans is also continuing. Seoul dispatched a rapid response team immediately after the floods, but difficulties coordinating with Nepalese authorities initially prevented it from searching the disaster site directly.

The KDRT eventually reached an agreement with the Nepalese military to search three areas: a tunnel near the dam, the area surrounding the power station and the Yellow Bridge along with nearby tunnels and mountainous terrain stretching from Ramche to Dhunche.

At the request of the missing Koreans’ families, the KDRT has particularly sought permission to conduct searches on foot near the disaster site. Nepalese authorities, however, have maintained their refusal, citing the dangers involved. The KDRT will first continue searching the hydropower plant tunnel where the Chinese survivor was found alongside the Nepalese military while examining other areas.

Unpredictable weather and treacherous terrain have also hampered search operations.

“We tried to go inside the tunnel, but it was already blocked,” Sherpa Jenjen Lama, who participated in searches at the site, told the JoongAng Ilbo in Kathmandu. “The tunnel gate was blocked by huge rocks.”

The sherpa also noted that power is unreliable and information from the site is extremely limited, making the search difficult.

With the search dragging on, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun traveled to Nepal on Saturday. Families awaiting news of the missing Koreans reportedly met Cho and appealed for searches on foot near the disaster site.

“Every day feels desperate,” said a family member of one of the missing Koreans who is staying in Nepal. “We want them to coordinate with the Nepalese military, ensure the necessary safety measures are in place and conduct a large-scale search on foot near Yellow Bridge at least once.”

The death toll in Nepal from the floods, which began in the upper reaches of the Himalayan mountain region on Aug. 26, stood at 1,344 as of Saturday, according to Nepal’s disaster management authority. Including 31 deaths reported by China, the overall death toll has reached 1,375. A total of 5,531 people remain missing, including 5,000 in Nepal and 531 in China.

BY BYUN MIN-CHUL [[email protected]]