Chartered Helicopters Grounded: Families Plead as "Golden Time" Slips Away

[Anchor]

The South Korean government and corporate response teams planned to deploy helicopters to search the accident site, but Nepali authorities have not granted permission due to concerns over secondary megafloods. As the golden time for rescue slips away, the families of the missing are desperately calling for swift search operations.

Reporter Kim Ayeong has the details.

[Reporter]

The South Korean government, Doosan Enerbility, and Korea South-East Power have chartered six helicopters locally in Nepal to search for and rescue nine South Korean nationals who have lost contact.

Although six officials, including a National Fire Agency official belonging to the government's rapid response team, are ready for immediate takeoff, the helicopters remain grounded at Kathmandu Airport.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official stated, "Nepali authorities are not granting takeoff permission due to the possibility of a secondary megaflood," adding that they are repeatedly requesting cooperation from the Nepali side, noting that there was a case yesterday (the 27th) where permission was initially denied and later granted.

Some families of the missing point out that temperatures in the Himalayan region drop below freezing at night, making today, 48 hours after the megaflood, the critical golden time, and are desperately pleading for the helicopters to be dispatched as quickly as possible.

Another nine South Korean nationals who were isolated at a high-altitude power plant facility and rescued by a Nepalese military helicopter are moving by land to the Nepali capital of Kathmandu.

The site manager from Doosan Enerbility and one official from the South Korean Embassy in Nepal who remained at the facility where they were staying also departed to a safe area this afternoon aboard a Nepalese military helicopter.

The government is also preparing to deploy the Republic of Korea Air Force's multi-role transport aircraft, the Cygnus, to Nepal.

If the dispatch of an emergency relief team to Nepal is finalized, the Cygnus is likely to be tasked with transporting personnel and supplies for the relief team, and the government is discussing this plan with the Nepali side as well.

(Video by: Cho Choon-dong | Video Editing by: Choi Hye-ran)

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