Helicopters and Ground Teams Join Search for Nine Missing South Koreans in Nepal

Two helicopters and a South Korean ground team are conducting a coordinated search for nine nationals who went missing after flooding in Nepal.

A helicopter secured by the joint government rapid response team took off on Aug. 31 and was scheduled to search the Weir Dam, Dunche and the powerhouse in that order. A second helicopter arranged by Doosan Enerbility had already begun searching from the upper dam, or Weir Dam. Some of the missing South Koreans worked there before losing contact during the floods and landslides, making it a priority for their families.

The ground operation also began in earnest. Nine members of the National Fire Agency left Kathmandu in the morning and planned to travel by vehicle to Lamche, an area about 1 to 2 kilometers from the incident site. They intended to assess conditions and stay overnight in the field while conducting the search. The team had inspected a possible ground route the previous day after entering Batar village in Bidur, Nuwakot.

The response team has also applied to Nepalese authorities for permission to fly a drone. If approved, flights could operate from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. local time. The ground team planned to reach Lamche before the afternoon cutoff so it could attempt a detailed aerial search.