Chartered Helicopters Grounded... Families Pleading 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 yet granted permission due to concerns over a potential second massive flood. With the golden time for rescue slipping away, the families of the missing are desperately calling for swift search operations.

Reporter Kim Ayeong has the details.

[Reporter]

The 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 fully prepared for immediate takeoff, the helicopters remain grounded at Kathmandu Airport.

A Foreign Ministry official stated, "Nepali authorities are withholding takeoff approval due to the possibility of a secondary massive flood," adding that because there was a case yesterday (the 27th) where permission was initially denied and later granted, they are repeatedly requesting cooperation from the Nepali side.

Some families of the missing are pleading for the helicopters to be dispatched as quickly as possible, noting that temperatures in the Himalayan region drop below freezing at night, and that today—marking 48 hours since the massive flood occurred—will be the critical golden time.

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 Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.

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

The government is also preparing plans to deploy the South Korean Air Force's multi-role transport aircraft, the Cygnus, to the site in Nepal.

If the dispatch of an emergency relief team to Nepal is decided, the Cygnus is likely to be tasked with transporting emergency relief personnel and supplies, and the government is currently discussing this option with the Nepali side.

(Camera Reporter: Cho Choon-dong | Video Editing: Choi Hye-ran)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.