No Progress on 14th Day of Nepal Search as Authorities Scale Back Operations

Searchers found no sign of nine South Koreans missing after Nepal’s catastrophic floods, despite efforts on the 14th day since the incident. The Korean Disaster Relief Team attempted a ground search in mountain areas requested by the families, but the terrain and safety risks sharply limited access.

Seven members of the team, including its leader Lee Gyu-ho, traveled with four drones in two helicopters to mountain areas near the powerhouse and Yellow Bridge. The locations had been identified by the families as areas they wanted searched. Drone and visual searches found no notable signs.

The team had planned to land in the mountain area and continue on foot. Nepal’s army warned that there was no safe landing site. At the Korean team’s request, the helicopters circled while crews looked for a possible landing point, but the attempt failed.

Two weeks after the incident, Nepal is also beginning to reduce search-and-rescue operations and place greater emphasis on reconstruction and recovery. Helicopter use has been cut substantially as the search continues without results.