Nepal Rapid Response Team: Two Helicopter Searches Yield No Results for Missing Persons

A private helicopter chartered by the government joint rapid response team to search for nine South Korean nationals missing in massive floods in Nepal conducted two searches over the accident site on the 29th local time, but failed to yield any notable results.

An official from the rapid response team met with reporters at a hotel in Kathmandu, Nepal, on the night of the same day and stated, "We operated the same helicopter twice for the search, but unfortunately, there were no results such as finding survivors."

The official explained, "We conducted a visual search while flying over the site where [the nine missing people] are presumed to be, but access was not easy due to the dense forest and steep terrain."

The first search took place at around 11:45 a.m. on the same day, with four personnel from the National Fire Agency on board.

Subsequently, at 12:38 p.m., a helicopter carrying four personnel from the National Fire Agency, the Korean National Police Agency, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs took off to conduct a search.

The official said, "The operation time per helicopter was between 40 and 50 minutes, and the actual time hovering over the accident site was about 20 to 25 minutes."

The official added, "You might imagine rappelling from the helicopter or landing near the accident site to carry out rescue operations, but the terrain is extremely difficult," and noted, "The ground needs to be firm, and landing rashly could lead to another accident."

Alongside visual searches, the team employed a method of recording aerial footage for precise analysis.

An official from the rapid response team stated, "We analyzed the video data secured during the flight, but there were no significant differences from the visual assessment," adding, "It was confirmed that the Nepalese military assets were deployed to conduct search and rescue operations, but unfortunately, those efforts also failed to find any survivors."

This means that the Nepalese military authorities also searched areas including the location where the nine missing South Koreans are presumed to be, but without success.

The rapid response team official said, "We confirmed that ground troops of the Nepalese military entered the accident site to conduct a search, but there were no results," and added, "We have inquired about the specific operations they carried out and are awaiting a response."

The rapid response team plans to mobilize a private helicopter again on the 30th to search nearby areas outside of the routes flown on this day.

An official from the response team stated, "We plan to expand the search to different terrains that we haven't covered yet, or pursue another search by deploying Nepalese military helicopters."

They also noted, "As soon as today's operations ended, we requested the Nepalese side to grant flight permits for tomorrow as well," adding, "Since approval was granted today, we expect it will be granted tomorrow too."

Furthermore, the official emphasized, "We have provided data and coordinates of the area where our missing citizens are presumed to be to the Nepalese military authorities, and we are continuously encouraging them to search those specific locations."
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.