Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "Nine Out of Ten South Koreans Stranded by Nepal Flood Moved to Safe Area"

"Will Leave for Kathmandu Tomorrow"
One Remains Until Local Staff Are Rescued

On August 27, nine out of ten Korean nationals who had been stranded due to a major flood in the Rasuwa region of Nepal were airlifted to a safe area by helicopter.

On the 26th, a large-scale flood occurred in the Himalayan mountainous area of central-northern Nepal, and nine Korean workers building a hydroelectric power plant there went missing. Photo by Yonhap News Agency showing the flood-hit Nuwakot, Nepal.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official told reporters that day, "Of the ten Koreans who had been stranded, nine have been rescued by helicopter and moved to a safe area," adding, "After staying in the safe area, they will travel to the capital Kathmandu on the 28th."

According to the official, all of them are employees of Doosan Enerbility who had been dispatched to Nepal for the construction of a local hydroelectric power plant, and were transported to a safe area by a Nepali military helicopter. Their health conditions are reported to be stable.

The one person remaining at the site is a field manager from Doosan Enerbility, who reportedly expressed his intention to stay until all local staff, including Nepali workers, have been rescued. The consular officer and an administrative staff member from the Korean Embassy in Nepal, who were urgently dispatched to the area, are also remaining with the site manager. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working to secure additional helicopters to evacuate them as well.

It is understood that the stranded Koreans had been staying in an area mainly used by local employees for work and accommodation when the floods hit. Since the building was located at a higher elevation and some distance from the river where the flooding occurred, they were able to avoid direct damage. However, due to the roads around the area being destroyed by the flood, ground transportation became impossible, leaving them stranded and only able to evacuate by helicopter.

Meanwhile, nine other Koreans—six from Doosan Enerbility and three from Korea South-East Power—remain out of contact in the flood-affected area. The government joint rapid response team, which was urgently dispatched to Nepal on August 27, is expected to first assess the ongoing search and rescue operations and begin consultations with the Nepalese government regarding rescue activities.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.