Rapid Response Team to Conduct Overland Search Today; Death Toll Exceeds 800

[Anchor]

It has been six days since the massive floods struck Nepal. To locate nine South Korean nationals with whom contact has been lost, the government's joint rapid response team will attempt to approach the area by overland routes today (the 31st). The confirmed death toll has now surpassed 800, with more than 3,000 people still missing.

Here is a report by reporter Yu Deok-gi.

[Reporter]

The joint government rapid response team has decided to enter the site—where the nine unreachable South Korean nationals are presumed to be—via overland routes today, local time, and attempt a search.

After helicopter searches failed yesterday because Nepali military authorities did not grant flight clearance, the government response team determined that they can reach the target search area on foot within a day, prompting them to launch an overland search.

If the overland approach succeeds, it will mark the first ground search operation for the nine missing South Koreans since the massive floods occurred six days ago.

[Cho Hyun-moon / Head of the National 119 Rescue Headquarters, National Fire Agency: We are heading to the site to gather search intelligence. While paying close attention to safety, we will do our utmost to ensure swift search and rescue operations.]

The response team has also applied for permission from Nepali authorities to use drones for searches after entering overland.

In addition, they are continuously requesting cooperation from the Nepali police for search and rescue operations centered around locations where the missing South Koreans are believed to be.

As of today, the sixth day since the massive floods, the death toll compiled from both Nepal and China has exceeded at least 800, with over 3,000 missing.

Nepali authorities are concentrating their search and rescue capabilities on a hydroelectric power plant site where more than 900 workers remain missing.

On the night of the 29th, local time, Nepali rescue workers successfully entered the tunnel of the Trishuli 3A hydroelectric power plant—where over 100 people are estimated to be trapped—and are searching for survivors by supplying food and injecting oxygen, though no news of rescue has been reported yet.

As morgues have reached full capacity, Nepali authorities have temporarily buried nearly 200 unidentified bodies over the course of two days.

(Camera Reporter: Seol Chi-hwan, Kang Si-woo | Video Editor: Lee So-young)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.