One week after catastrophic floods swept through the Himalayan mountainous region on the Nepal-China border, rescue authorities are making desperate efforts to find missing persons presumed trapped in multiple hydroelectric power plants and other locations.

The Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) arrived in Nepal on the morning of the 2nd, local time, to begin supporting search and rescue operations.

The death toll from the massive floods within Nepal, as compiled by the Nepalese Disaster Management Authority, has risen to 1,050.

Consequently, the total death toll, including 16 fatalities on the Chinese side, has reached 1,066.

Missing persons total 4,462, including 3,916 in Nepal (comprising 590 foreigners) and 546 in China (comprising 261 foreigners).

Rescue teams, including the Nepalese military, are attempting to access several hydroelectric power plant tunnels in order to rescue hundreds of workers believed to be trapped inside.

According to Reuters, the Disaster Management Authority stated the previous day that at least 639 people are missing and isolated across several hydropower plants.

Many of them are presumed to be trapped inside the power plant tunnels.

To reach them, workers are conducting operations such as blasting large boulders blocking the tunnels, clearing thick mud and soil blanketing the area, and drilling holes.

However, reports indicate they are facing severe difficulties, as the tunnels are already filled with mud or flooded with massive amounts of water flowing into the drilled holes.

Ashish Gurung, a mountain guide participating in a hydroelectric plant tunnel rescue operation, told Reuters after checking the site, "It is impossible for a person to go inside the tunnel," adding that "equipment like bulldozers and excavators is needed."

According to preliminary estimates by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), various sediments such as building debris, rocks, and mud covering the disaster-affected areas amount to at least 2.2 million tons.

Meanwhile, the South Korean government's 44-member Korea Disaster Relief Team arrived at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu aboard a military transport plane at around 6:27 a.m. on the 2nd.

Moving forward, they plan to cooperate with Nepalese authorities to conduct search and rescue operations, focusing on the area where nine South Koreans were reported missing.

The planned period of operation is about 10 days, but it may be extended depending on conditions at the site.