No Further Word on 9 Uncontacted South Koreans... Communications and Roads Completely Collapsed

[Anchor]

Now let's dive deeper into the local situation in Nepal and updates regarding our citizens with Reporter Jang Seon-i.

Jang, you must have continued attempting to reach our citizens currently in Nepal. Do you have any new updates?


Q. What is the status of search and rescue operations?

[Reporter Jang Seon-i : The government has confirmed that 9 out of the 10 isolated South Koreans have been successfully evacuated to safe locations. On the other hand, there is still no further news regarding the 9 who remain out of contact. Accessing the site for search operations continues to be difficult. A local trekking industry source reported that roads running alongside rivers have collapsed, making it hard to enter the affected areas by vehicle.]

[Arjun / Secretary General, Nepal-Korea Trekking and Tourism Association : The roads along the river have completely collapsed and washed away, leaving the area inaccessible.]

Q. Any additional damage or casualties involving South Koreans?

[Reporter Jang Seon-i : I also checked that aspect with the local trekking industry. According to inquiries made by the Nepal-Korea Trekking and Tourism Association to various agencies, no South Korean group trekking teams or tour groups traveling in the affected area at the time of the accident have been identified so far. They explained that all local guides and porters affiliated with the association have been reached. However, this is based on group tours tracked by the local travel industry. Because independent travelers have not all been accounted for, it is still too early to completely rule out the possibility of additional casualties.]

Q. Why is it so difficult to assess the situation?

[Reporter Jang Seon-i : The Korean Association in Kathmandu is also continuing to attempt contact with acquaintances in the affected areas, but because communication networks themselves have been cut off in many places, they are facing difficulties verifying the local situation. It is not just a communication issue. With even the facilities required for helicopter landings destroyed, it is taking time for rescue personnel to enter the affected areas. Let us listen to the accounts one by one.]

[Official, Korean Association in Nepal : Communications there have completely gone down and been cut off, so we cannot easily connect with them, making it difficult to figure out the local situation.]

[Roslyn Hanson Gabriel / President, World Vision Nepal : Helipads were destroyed, preventing helicopters from landing. The government responded immediately, but entering the site has taken time.]

[Reporter Jang Seon-i : With roads, communications, and now helicopter access blocked in certain areas, information coming out of the disaster-stricken regions remains limited.]

(Video Editing: Jeon Min-gyu, Footage Provided by: World Vision)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.