'Nepal Flood' Nine Korean Workers Still Missing for Six Days... Ground Search Underway

Joint Rapid Response Team Unable to Conduct Helicopter Search on the 30th Due to Lack of Nepalese Authorization
Ground Search Team Deployed on the 31st

As of six days after the massive flood in Nepal on the 26th, the whereabouts of nine missing Korean workers remain unknown. Even helicopter searches are difficult due to the limited permissions granted by Nepalese authorities. The government’s joint rapid response team, which was dispatched to the site, has begun ground search operations.

On the 30th (local time), citizens are clearing trees by the Narayani River in Chitwan, Nepal, as the cleanup continues after a massive flood occurred in the Himalayan mountainous region on the Nepal-China border. 2026.8.30 Photo by ksm7976@yna.co.kr (End) Yonhap News Agency

On the 31st, an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs met with reporters at the Seoul Government Complex and stated, "We have organized a ground search team composed of nine members from the National Fire Agency and plan to search the Battar area." The official explained, "This is a preliminary survey to understand possible routes and establish rescue plans." The Battar area is located about 70 kilometers away from Rasuwa, where the accident occurred. The ground search team will start from Battar, move toward the accident site, and proceed to the Ramche area, which is 1 to 2 kilometers away from the site, where they will set up a temporary camp.

However, helicopter searches could not be conducted even the previous day, as permission from Nepalese authorities was not granted. The joint rapid response team, along with Doosan Enerbility and Korea South-East Power, leased a total of six helicopters for the search operation. However, there have been only three helicopter flights in total: one on the 28th and two on the 29th. No trace of the missing workers was found during these three searches. The Nepalese government, citing the region's rugged mountainous terrain, as well as safety concerns and airspace congestion, is conducting search operations mainly through its military and police forces. The unpredictable local weather is also a complicating factor.

The rapid response team applied for helicopter search permission again on this day. If approval is granted, they plan to focus their efforts on the ‘Weir Dam’ area, which has been identified by families of the missing. They will also hold interviews with local Nepali survivors to determine the movements of the missing Korean workers.

On the 29th (local time), citizens looking for their family members are holding flyers in front of the Trishuli military base in Bidur, Nepal. On that day, helicopter takeoffs and landings for searching missing persons continued at the Trishuli military base. August 29, 2026 Photo by ksm7976@yna.co.kr (End) Yonhap News

According to estimates from Nepalese and Chinese authorities, as of the morning of August 31, the death toll from the flood has surpassed 800 and the number of missing persons is in the 3,000s. Despite this high number of missing people, Nepalese authorities remain cautious about accepting foreign rescue teams. The Korean government began actively considering the deployment of the Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT), and decided to dispatch the Air Force’s multi-role aerial refueling tanker Cygnus (KC-330), but the team is still on standby as the Nepalese government has yet to approve it.

In this regard, Song Seok-joon, chairman of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, along with lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties on the committee, visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Overseas Safety Situation Room on the morning of the 31st to receive a briefing on Nepal relief efforts from Vice Minister Kim Gina.

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