Rapid Response Team to Deploy Two More Helicopters in Nepal Search for Nine Missing Koreans... Drone Use Also Considered

The search continues for nine Koreans who lost contact following the massive flooding in Rasuwa, northern Nepal, but as of now, no survivors have been found. As of August 30, the government’s joint rapid response team is considering deploying two additional helicopters and is also reviewing the use of drones for future search operations.

On the 29th (local time), a truck was buried in soil near the road restoration site in Bidur, Nepal. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs briefed reporters at the Government Complex Seoul, stating, "On the 29th (local time) at 11:45 a.m. and 12:38 p.m., a single helicopter chartered by the rapid response team was dispatched to the site twice to conduct search operations," and added, "No survivors were found."

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was originally reported that two helicopters had been deployed for the search, but it has been confirmed that the same helicopter flew two separate missions. While the response team observed the accident site visually from the helicopter and also conducted video recording and analysis, they failed to locate anyone presumed to be Korean.

On August 30, the government plans to begin an additional search using two helicopters—one chartered by Doosan Enerbility and one by the rapid response team. However, flight authorization from Nepalese authorities has not yet been granted. The official stated, "We are aiming to deploy two helicopters today," noting, "Everything depends on obtaining permission from the Nepalese authorities and the weather conditions." Based on the search results from the previous day, the search area will likely be expanded further, centering on the accident site.

The Nepalese military is also conducting a search based on the presumed location information for the missing persons provided by the Korean side. Earlier, the government had supplied Nepal with coordinates and maps of the areas where the missing individuals were likely to be found. Lim Sang-woo, head of the government’s joint rapid response team, also met with Nepalese diplomatic officials to share this information again and request their cooperation.

Notably, it has been confirmed that the Nepalese military landed a helicopter at the accident site the day before and deployed troops for a ground search. The official stated, "Nepalese authorities now have the coordinates provided by our government," and continued, "They have conducted a search based on this information, and we plan to keep requesting their support going forward." Nevertheless, no one presumed to be Korean has been found by the Nepalese military's search efforts.

The government is also considering a search using drones. It was confirmed that the second joint rapid response team, which arrived in Nepal yesterday, brought drones with them. However, no decision has been made regarding the timing or actual deployment of the drones. The official explained, "This is something that must be assessed carefully on the ground." The second rapid response team consists of nine people, including Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials and staff from the National Fire Agency. Including the eleven people already dispatched on August 27, the total number of members on the ground is now twenty.

Additionally, authorities stated that there appear to be no Koreans among the estimated one hundred people reportedly trapped in a tunnel at a local hydroelectric construction site. They explained that the tunnel is not a workplace for Koreans and is situated a considerable distance from the accident site, requiring vehicle transport rather than traveling on foot.

Meanwhile, Park Jaekyung, the newly appointed Ambassador to Nepal, is scheduled to arrive in Nepal on August 31. On August 28, the government appointed Ambassador Park to fill the previously vacant post.

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