Korea begins helicopter search for nine missing in after Nepal flood
Korean rescue teams launched helicopter searches for nine workers missing after a catastrophic flash flood in Nepal's Rasuwa District, as the death toll surpassed 600.
A helicopter heads to the accident site from the military airfield at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Aug. 28.YONHAP
Korean rescue officials dispatched to Nepal boarded two chartered helicopters Saturday to search for nine nationals missing after a catastrophic flash flood, Seoul's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The helicopters, each carrying four members of the government rapid response team, took off from Kathmandu and headed to the flood-hit area where the nine missing Koreans may be located, the ministry said.
Six employees of Doosan Enerbility and three of Korea South-East Power (KOEN) have been missing for a fourth day following a massive flood at the border between Nepal and the Tibet region of China. They were working at a hydroelectric power plant construction site in Rasuwa District when the flood hit the area on Wednesday.
Ten other Doosan workers who had been isolated at a different location have been moved to safety.
The government response team struggled to reach the flood-hit area as Nepali authorities restricted foreign access for search and rescue operations, citing unpredictable weather and the risk of further flooding.
Separate search teams from KOEN and Doosan Enerbility obtained clearance from local authorities earlier and were preparing to conduct their own searches Saturday, according to company officials.
An additional team of nine government officials from Seoul, including firefighters, departed for Kathmandu Saturday to join the 11-member response team already in Nepal.
KOEN conducted a brief helicopter search Friday after receiving clearance from local authorities just before sunset, but failed to locate the missing people.
"We believe they could be at the base camp, as safety protocols direct evacuees to higher ground. If we get to fly the helicopter, we will thoroughly search that area," a company spokesperson said.
Soldiers help a family disembark from a helicopter after they are rescued from an area cut off by flash flooding in Nepal's Nuwakot district on Aug. 28.AP/YONHAP
The government and corporate rescue teams have rented six helicopters to search for the missing as the flood destroyed roads and bridges.
Seoul has offered to deploy a Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT), a statutory emergency response unit, and is currently in talks with Nepali authorities, the Foreign Ministry said.
"We are fully preparing to dispatch a KDRT at any time once the Nepali side accepts our proposal," a ministry official said.
Through the KDRT, Seoul can send personnel and supplies for search and rescue, medical and other relief missions, but only at the request of the host country.
Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said Friday that the country needs special technical assistance to restore transportation and communication lines, but not for search and rescue operations, according to a Reuters report.
"We understand that Nepal is prioritizing military- and police-led search and rescue operations due to the region's unique terrain and weather conditions, and will request foreign assistance when the need arises," the Seoul official said.
Speaking to reporters in Kathmandu late Friday, Lim Sang-woo, head of the government rapid response team, vowed to make all-out efforts to ensure swift search and rescue operations for the missing Koreans.
"We made search attempts for the nine missing individuals with the Nepali military mobilizing its assets, but unfortunately, we need to keep searching," Lim said.
The Nepali military has conducted searches in and around the possible locations using coordinates provided by the response team, but found no signs of the missing people, according to Seoul officials.
The government and corporate search teams are considering expanding the search along the Trishuli River to cover downstream areas, preparing for the possibility that the missing people were swept away.
Return travel plans for the 10 rescued Koreans have yet to be decided, a Foreign Ministry official said.
"Having been through extreme circumstances, what they need most right now is rest," the official said. "We also need to see if their health conditions are stable enough for them to travel by air."
In Seoul, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with family members of the missing people, the ministry said.
The death toll from the disastrous floods has surpassed 600, with around 3,000 others unaccounted for, according to local reports.
Fears of further flooding are rising as barrier lakes formed by debris from a collapsed Himalayan glacier that triggered the initial floods have started to overflow, reports said.
