[Anchor]

The site where nine South Koreans have lost contact was a hydroelectric power plant construction zone. This accident occurred just as the project, led by South Korean public and private enterprises after five years of construction, was slated for completion as early as the end of this year.

Reporter Kwon Ran has the details.

[Reporter]

Muddy water cascades down a narrow, steep valley, engulfing the dam under construction.

Workers nearby flee in panic.

Moments later, the dam collapses, unable to withstand the fierce currents.

This is the exact moment when the cofferdam of the Upper Trishuli-1 (UT-1) hydroelectric power plant, being constructed by South Korean companies, gave way.

[Yoon Jang-hyun / Head of New Growth Division, Korea South-East Power Co.: It appears that nearly 90 percent or more of the upper weir dam has been washed away.]

The UT-1 hydroelectric power plant is a South Korea-led hydropower project in which Korea South-East Power (KOEN) is in charge of project development and future operations, while Doosan Enerbility handles construction and the supply of major equipment.

Located in the Trishuli River basin in the Rasuwa district, about 70 kilometers north of Nepal's capital Kathmandu, it is a run-of-the-river power plant that utilizes the large drop characteristic of the Himalayan mountainous terrain.

It is designed to maximize power generation efficiency by creating a drop of 340 meters through a 10-kilometer-long tunnel.

With a capacity of 216MW and project costs totaling approximately 900 billion won, it is Nepal's largest foreign-investment hydroelectric power project. Upon completion, it was expected to account for 20 percent of Nepal's total power supply, a country suffering from chronic electricity shortages.

After 10 years of project development starting in 2011, full-scale construction began in 2022 with the goal of completion by the end of this year and commercial operation next year, but setbacks have now become inevitable due to this flood.

[Yoon Jang-hyun / Head of New Growth Division, Korea South-East Power Co.: The current construction progress is at 84 percent. The base camp where construction workers were staying has been more than 90 percent destroyed, and we currently understand that the underground power plant has not been buried.]

The Rasuwa district, where the UT-1 power plant is located, is an optimal site for hydroelectric power due to steep mountains and deep gorges, but it is also a double-edged sword with high construction difficulty and a high risk of earthquakes, landslides, and floods.

The UT-1 hydroelectric power plant has suffered consecutive flood damages, including the loss of materials, fuel storage facilities, and temporary dams two years ago, followed by a suspension of construction last year.

(Camera: Kim Seung-tae | Video Editing: Lee Hong-myung | Design: Kim Ye-ji)