Kathmandu: A South Korean disaster relief team has arrived in Nepal to intensify the ongoing search for nine South Koreans and other individuals missing due to severe floods and landslides, the foreign ministry confirmed. The 44-member Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT), consisting of personnel from the ministry, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and fire authorities, landed in Kathmandu aboard an Air Force KC-330 Cygnus multirole tanker transport aircraft.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the team's mission is to execute search-and-rescue operations in collaboration with Nepali authorities and the South Korean government emergency response team. A ministry official stated that the deployment is planned for approximately 10 days but may be extended based on site conditions. The KDRT is equipped with five rescue dogs and advanced technology, including high-resolution drones, sound and video detection devices, and thermal imaging detectors.
The nine South Koreans disappeared after devastating floods struck Nepal's Rasuwa district on August 26. They were working at the Upper Trishuli-1 (UT-1) hydropower plant construction site, with six being employees of Doosan Enerbility Co. and three from Korea South-East Power Co. The emergency response team, along with corporate teams, is utilizing helicopters, drones, search dogs, and other resources to search for survivors despite the challenging terrain and debris.
Rescue operations have reached Dhunche in Rasuwa district, a heavily affected area. Dhunche is located approximately 2 kilometers from the UT-1 hydropower plant's upper dam. Joint helicopter, drone, and ground searches are being conducted with the Nepalese military. Officials are also exploring options like tracking mobile phone locations of the missing individuals and gathering information from Nepalese survivors and local officials.
Doosan Enerbility is actively conducting helicopter searches and employing high-performance drones to analyze video footage from aerial searches. Korea South-East Power is utilizing drones and search-and-rescue dogs and may deploy additional personnel to support ongoing efforts.
As reported by foreign media, the disaster has resulted in over 1,000 fatalities and nearly 4,500 individuals remain unaccounted for as of Tuesday.