Rapid Response Team Reports 'No Significant Results' in Search for 9 Missing South Koreans

The joint government rapid response team dispatched to find nine South Koreans missing in the massive floods in Nepal conducted joint aerial and ground searches with the Nepalese military on the 1st, local time, but did not yield any clear results.

An official from the rapid response team met with reporters at a hotel in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, on the night of the same day and stated, "Today, we conducted joint search activities with the Nepalese military centered around the Dunche area (about 2 km away from the weir dam where one of the missing persons worked), but unfortunately, there were no significant results."

They added, "Drone searches were conducted in the same manner as yesterday," and conveyed, "This was also the case for those."

Earlier that morning, the rapid response team, together with the Nepalese military, conducted joint searches in flood-affected areas including the Upper Trishuli (UT)-1 hydroelectric power plant, where the nine missing South Koreans had worked.

After conducting an aerial search of the accident area aboard a Nepalese military helicopter, they landed near the weir dam—the upper dam of the Upper Trishuli-1 power plant—and conducted a foot search alongside the Nepalese military, but no unusual findings regarding the whereabouts of the missing persons were confirmed.

A nine-member overland search team belonging to the rapid response team also advanced about 2 km from the camps and workplaces where the missing persons stayed, deploying drones and searching the surrounding areas.

An official from the rapid response team explained, "Of the 9 [overland search team members] in Dunche, 3 returned [to Kathmandu] after finishing their activities, and 6 remained in Dunche."

The 6 remaining members are expected to continue discussions with the Nepalese military and cooperate in the affected areas after the Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) dispatched by the South Korean government arrives in Kathmandu today (the 2nd), local time.

An official from the government response team stated, "[Dunche] has rugged terrain, making [the search] practically difficult without the cooperation of Nepalese authorities," adding, "The 6 remaining members are continuing discussions with the Nepalese military."

The KDRT is scheduled to depart from Korea at midnight today and arrive in Kathmandu at around 5:55 a.m. today, local time.

The relief team consists of 44 people, including officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Fire Agency, and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

After arriving in Kathmandu, they plan to consult with Nepalese authorities alongside the rapid response team to conduct search and rescue operations centered around the areas where the South Koreans went missing.

They will also mobilize various advanced equipment, including high-resolution filming unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), acoustic and video detectors for buried victims, and thermal imaging detectors.

An official from the rapid response team explained, "Our initial goal is to begin [search and rescue] operations as quickly as possible once the [KDRT] arrives in Nepal," adding, "To that end, we met with high-ranking Nepalese officials today and held working-level discussions."

(Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.