▲ First Mountain-Focused Foot Search Concludes Without Breakthrough
The Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT), conducting search and rescue operations at the site of massive floods in Nepal, concentrated its efforts on foot and drone searches in areas requested by the families of the missing South Koreans on the 8th local time, but yielded no results.
Accompanied by the Nepalese Army, the KDRT took two helicopters to the Rasuwa district in the central-northern Bagmati Province. They then attempted searches in the mountainous regions around the powerhouse and Yellow Bridge of the Upper Trishuli (UT)-1 hydroelectric power plant, as well as the mountainous area near the main camp.
These areas have been strongly designated by the families of the missing persons for search operations.
Initially, team members intended to land in these areas to conduct foot searches. However, based on the Nepalese military's assessment that safe landing sites were unavailable, one helicopter landed at the powerhouse area while the other landed at a Nepalese military base camp located 6 kilometers away from the powerhouse.
Following this, the team that landed at the powerhouse conducted intensive drone searches around the area, as the Nepalese military deemed the terrain too steep for foot searches.
Another team conducted a foot search along a temporary road heading upstream to locate possible evacuation routes, but stopped where the road was cut off and subsequently carried out drone searches for about an hour and 40 minutes.
Nevertheless, the KDRT reported that no unusual signs related to the missing persons were discovered during the day.
Cho Hyun-moon, head of the National Fire Agency's Rescue Headquarters and leader of the KDRT, held a briefing in the afternoon at Batar, Bagmati Province, where the KDRT base camp is located, stating, "We could not help but feel a sense of powerlessness in the face of the disaster's unique characteristics, which are incomparable to those in South Korea, and the limitations on geographical access."
He added, "While we are doing our utmost given that our citizens remain out of contact, we feel apologetic and regretful regarding the aspects that are beyond our capacity."
In particular, it was reported that no evacuation paths for humans were visible on the steep slopes of the mountainous areas searched by the KDRT on this day.
Consequently, observations suggest it is unlikely that the missing persons used the slopes to evacuate up the mountains.
Furthermore, Nepalese authorities reportedly cited significant risks for drone searches in the mountainous terrain, taking altitude and distance limitations into account.
Nepalese military authorities had previously believed that survivors were most likely to be found inside the power plant's tunnels rather than other areas, and had primarily requested the KDRT to support tunnel searches.
Accordingly, the KDRT previously achieved results on the 5th by rescuing a Chinese survivor and discovering three bodies inside a tunnel at the power plant.
However, after the KDRT entered the entrance of another tunnel at the power plant and faced difficulties that halted their search, Nepalese authorities concluded the search operations for the power plant's tunnels.
As a result, Nepalese authorities currently have no further search operations requested of the KDRT, and foot searches in areas desired by the South Korean side are reportedly unfeasible due to safety guidelines and other issues.
KDRT Relief Team Leader Lee Kyu-ho stated, "Realistically, we believe we have done everything possible through foot searches within a safe range for our members."
The massive floods that occurred in the upper reaches of the Himalayan mountainous region on the 26th of last month have resulted in an estimated 1,358 deaths in Nepal alone to date.
Including 43 deaths from debris flows associated with the floods in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China near the border, the total death toll stands at 1,401.
The number of missing persons totals 5,845, combining 5,326 in Nepal and 519 in the Tibet region.
Among the missing are nine South Korean employees who were constructing the UT-1 hydroelectric power plant.
They consist of six employees from Doosan Enerbility and three from Korea Southern Power.
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