⚡ Quick Summary
Massive Casualties from Nepal's Catastrophic Flooding:
Heavy rains originating in Tibet, China, triggered massive landslides and mudflows down the Trishuli River in the Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts of Nepal, leaving over 1,060 dead and about 4,400 missing, including nine South Koreans.
Harsh On-Site Conditions and Difficult Search Operations:
The South Korean rapid response team pushed through steep cliffside mountain paths for more than 10 hours to reach the suspected missing area near the hydroelectric plant's office building and dam, continuing search operations using drones and ropes.
Prolonged Relief and Recovery:
Due to severe damage to the bodies, DNA matching is essential, but shortages of mortuaries and cremation facilities have led to the creation of large communal burial grounds. With many missing persons still buried in mud or cut off from communication, recovering from the casualties is expected to take considerable time.
※ This article was produced based on video footage released on Sept. 2, 2026.
Desperate rescue operations are underway in Nepal to save nine South Korean nationals who went missing following catastrophic flooding. SBS correspondent Han Sang-woo is the only South Korean broadcast journalist on the scene. We are connected with him live by phone.
Where are you located right now?
I am currently in the Bidur area, one of the affected regions. The disaster zone extends along the Trishuli River, and Bidur can be considered part of the downstream affected area. Many journalists and rescue workers are gathered here. The rescue team visible slightly behind me is a foreign rescue team. They can also be seen as personnel who came to rescue the missing in cooperation with the Nepalese government.
What is the current situation?
Since it happened on the 26th, exactly one week has passed as of today. This flood started in Gyirong County, Tibet, China, and crossed the southern border into Rasuwa and Nuwakot in Nepal. The Trishuli River flows between mountains over 2,000 meters above sea level, and massive amounts of water and sediment surged along this river, causing widespread destruction. Although it originated in China, the damage has been much greater in Nepal. According to what has been identified so far, 16 people died in China and 1,050 in Nepal, bringing the total death toll to 1,066. The number of missing persons has also reached 4,462, which includes nine missing South Koreans.
I traveled along the Trishuli River from downstream Bidur up to Dhunche, which is closer to the Chinese border. All I could see were once-beautiful riverside villages now smothered in waterlogged mud and debris. Only building roofs were visible here and there, which means there is a high likelihood that numerous missing people are still buried beneath those mounds of earth. Because an immense torrent of water and water-saturated soil surged down from the mountains, the mud instantly engulfed people and homes, and that condition persists to this day.
Searching for the missing is correspondingly difficult. From the first day of the disaster until now, families of the missing have flocked in huge numbers outside the military base where missing persons reports are being accepted. They search tirelessly through hospitals from the capital, Kathmandu, to medical facilities near the affected areas to see if their loved ones are there. Still unable to find them, many family members can easily be seen clinging to the barbed-wire fences in front of the helipad where rescued people disembark, standing there all day long.
Family of a missing person
We searched every hospital starting from Kathmandu, but they weren't there either. So we're waiting here because they might be rescued by helicopter.
The situation is just as devastating for the bereaved families of the deceased, as even identifying the dead is currently difficult. When swept away by rapidly moving mud and debris, bodies suffer severe trauma. When remains are recovered, they cannot be identified by sight alone, so work is underway to collect DNA from the bodies and families to cross-reference and confirm identities.
Nevertheless, hundreds of bodies remain unidentified, and authorities are creating separate communal burial grounds just for these victims. With mortuaries and crematoriums in short supply, the entire city and disaster zone have effectively turned into a massive morgue.
What is the status of the search and rescue operation for South Koreans?
There are two locations where our missing nationals are presumed to be. One is the weir dam being constructed upstream on the Trishuli River, and slightly downstream from there is a power generation facility known as the powerhouse, where about eight people are believed to have been inside an office building. This is the area where our intensive search must focus, and the closest village overlooking this site within a 2-kilometer distance is Dhunche.
Ground search personnel from the rapid response team began in earnest the day before yesterday. Getting there was not easy. The route along the river would normally take only 50 minutes, but because they had to take mountain trails, they had to push through rugged paths and navigate cliffside passes. As soon as they reached Dhunche in the evening after a 10-hour trek the day before yesterday, they lowered search drones from over 2,000 meters above sea level straight down into the gorge to comb through the target area.
Currently, the entire disaster zone is covered in waterlogged soil. In nearby affected areas, walking causes feet to sink past the knees, making it impossible to get out without help from others, and conditions upstream are even worse. Our rescuers are suspended from ropes to assess the water conditions, check if landings are possible, and determine whether movement on foot is feasible. When access seems possible, they descend and search on foot across the terrain. After searching, they board helicopters again to report on the situation, move to adjacent areas to search further, and continue expanding the search radius.
This is the first on-site coverage of the Dhunche dam area by a South Korean broadcaster. What were the reporting conditions like?
I accompanied the team to Dhunche village to observe the search process and reported on the ground for two days. To reach the village, one must traverse mountains over 2,000 meters high. Because we had to cross valleys, it took more than 10 hours by vehicle to get there, meaning the village is virtually isolated.
Furthermore, power was previously supplied by the hydroelectric plant located upstream along the Trishuli River where the accident occurred, but that hydroelectric plant was completely destroyed. As a result, power has been totally cut off, leaving the area in pitch darkness. Gas supplies are also completely unavailable. In homes that had generators, some could be seen fueling and running them briefly, but mostly people were sparingly using existing emergency batteries to keep lights on. Meals are being prepared by burning firewood under large cauldrons.
We were also able to eat by receiving some rice cooked over firewood and a little soup, and washing up was extremely difficult due to the lack of facilities. The entire village is isolated and in severe distress.
With over 4,000 people missing, how long is the recovery expected to take?
As families continue to register missing persons reports and many new families come forward asking to locate loved ones they still cannot reach, both the number of missing persons and the death toll are expected to climb further. However, we must not abandon hope yet, because moving just slightly up the mountain above the river reveals dense forests with areas that could offer shelter, where people might still be stranded. Holding onto this hope, our rapid response team and emergency relief workers are dedicating all their strength to conducting the search.
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