Nine employees of Korean companies remain out of contact after Nepal floods; government joint rapid response team departs

[Financial News] The fate of nine employees from Korea South-East Power and Doosan Enerbility who went missing in landslides and severe flooding in Nepal has not been confirmed even after a day has passed. The nine Korean employees, who were building a hydropower plant in Rasuwa District, Bagmati Province, Nepal, lost contact after the massive flood that struck the area on the 26th.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 27th, no additional damage involving South Korean nationals has been reported so far, apart from the nine people who remain out of contact and 10 others waiting for rescue. However, the government is continuing to check for any additional missing persons.
A ministry official said, "Since about 20,000 South Koreans typically visit Nepal each year for tourism, we are continuing to check whether there are any additional casualties."
The government has dispatched a joint rapid response team of 11 people from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Police Agency, and the National Fire Agency, led by Lim Sang-woo, the consul in charge of protection of overseas nationals.
The response team, made up of four officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, five from the fire authorities, and two police officers, departed Incheon International Airport on a commercial flight this afternoon and will arrive in Kathmandu via Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, at least 160 people have died and 403 remain missing, including 341 foreign nationals, after landslides and severe flooding in the Himalayan mountain region of north-central Nepal.



[email protected] Kim Kyung-soo Reporter