[Anchor]
The site of this disaster is Nepal's largest hydroelectric project, led by our public and private companies. After five years of construction, it was on the verge of completion as early as the end of this year, but a sudden flood swept everything away.
Reporter Kwon Ran has the details.
[Reporter]
Muddy water pours down a narrow and steep valley, engulfing the dam under construction.
Workers nearby run for their lives in panic.
Moments later, the dam collapses, unable to withstand the fierce currents.
This is the moment when the cofferdam of the Upper Trishuli-1 (UT-1) hydroelectric power plant, being constructed by South Korean companies, collapsed.
[Yoon Jang-hyun / Head of New Growth Division, Korea South-East Power Co. (KOEN): It seems that more than 90% of the upper weir dam (cofferdam) section has been destroyed.]
The UT-1 hydroelectric plant is a South Korea-led hydroelectric project where Korea South-East Power Co. is in charge of project development and future operations, while Doosan Enerbility is responsible for construction and the supply of major equipment.
Located in the Trishuli River basin in the Rasuwa district, about 70 kilometers north of Nepal's capital Kathmandu, it is a run-of-the-river power plant that utilizes the large drop in elevation characteristic of the Himalayan mountainous terrain.
It is designed to maximize power generation efficiency by creating a 340-meter drop through a 10-kilometer-long tunnel.
With a capacity of 216 megawatts and an investment of approximately 900 billion won, it is Nepal's largest foreign-invested hydroelectric project. Upon completion, it was expected to account for 20% of Nepal's total electricity supply, a country suffering from chronic power shortages.
After a decade of project development starting in 2011, full-scale construction began in 2022 with the goal of completion by the end of this year and commercial operation next year, but setbacks have become inevitable due to this flood.
[Yoon Jang-hyun / Head of New Growth Division, Korea South-East Power Co. (KOEN): The current construction progress rate is 84%. More than 90% of the base camp where the construction workers stayed has been destroyed, and based on our current assessment, the underground power plant has not been buried.]
The Rasuwa district, where the UT-1 power plant is located, is an optimal location for hydroelectric power due to its steep mountains and deep gorges, but it also has a dual nature with high construction difficulty and great risks of earthquakes, landslides, and floods.
The UT-1 hydroelectric plant suffered consecutive flood damages, including the loss of materials, fuel storage facilities, and temporary dams due to floods two years ago, and a suspension of construction last year.
(Video by Kim Seung-tae | Video Editing by Lee Hong-myung | Design by Kim Ye-ji)
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