First helicopter search by a Korean private team in Nepal accident completed... government team unable to launch helicopters on the first day

[Financial News] A helicopter chartered by Korea South-East Power reportedly conducted its first search of flood-hit areas in Nepal on the 28th local time after receiving approval from Nepal's military authorities. Nepalese officials had withheld permission for helicopter operations over fears of a second flood, but approval came just before sunset, allowing the South-East Power helicopter to begin its first search.
According to the corporate response team on the 29th, search operations have begun by local response teams from Korea South-East Power and Doosan Enerbility to locate nine missing Koreans from the Nepal flood disaster. Following South-East Power, Doosan Enerbility also plans to immediately operate one helicopter once approval is granted by Nepalese authorities. Drones will also be deployed to search areas where the missing may have taken shelter. Nepalese drone operators are also expected to be on board the helicopter.
A corporate response team official said, "We believe the missing employees were at the base camp. According to the evacuation manual, they would have moved toward the mountains at higher elevations, so if a helicopter can take off, we will need to conduct a detailed search in that area."
However, the government rapid response team, organized under the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was unable to launch helicopters on the first day of the rescue effort. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has already held a phone call with Nepal's foreign minister to support the rescue operation.
The government has chartered a total of six helicopters together with Doosan Enerbility and Korea South-East Power. The government response team, consisting of five officials from the National Fire Agency (NFA) and one from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has been waiting at Kathmandu airport after splitting up among the chartered helicopters. However, Nepal's military authorities have restricted helicopter access over concerns about a second flood, leaving them grounded.
At a press briefing held at the Crown Imperial Hotel in Kathmandu, Nepal, Im Sang-woo, the government representative in charge of protection of overseas Koreans and consular affairs and head of the joint rapid response team, explained, "The search for the nine people who lost contact was carried out with the deployment of one Nepalese military helicopter and one civilian helicopter."
Three days have passed since the accident on the 26th, but the nine missing people remain out of contact. The government and corporate response teams are reportedly considering searching both upstream and downstream of the Trishuli River at the same time, in case the missing may have been swept away.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it would dispatch nine additional members to join the first joint rapid response team of 11 members sent on the 27th. The additional team consists of one official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and eight from the National Fire Agency (NFA). They departed Incheon on the 29th and are scheduled to arrive in Kathmandu this afternoon.

[email protected] Kim Kyung-soo Reporter