No Results from Helicopter Search for Missing Persons in Nepal; Two Government Response Helicopters Return Empty-Handed

News 1 [Financial News] Rescue helicopters from the public, private, and military sectors in South Korea and Nepal were deployed on the 28th and 29th local time to search for nine Korean workers missing after a glacial flood in Nepal. The helicopters dispatched to locate the missing workers conducted repeated searches, but made no significant progress. The government had chartered a total of six helicopters together with Doosan Enerbility and Korea South-East Power Co.
, Ltd. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other sources on the 30th, two search helicopters from the government's rapid response team were sent out the previous day to find the nine people who had lost contact, but they were unable to locate any of the missing. Four members of the rapid response team, all from the National Fire Agency (NFA), were aboard the first helicopter.
Another four team members were on the second helicopter. Earlier, one helicopter from the Nepalese military and a civilian helicopter also searched the accident site on the 28th, but they too failed to produce results. As the fifth day since the accident on the 26th began, concerns are growing that the so-called golden time may already have passed.
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with the families of the nine missing Korean workers on the 29th. However, the government did not disclose the details of the meeting between Cho and the families. The ministry said, "Because the meeting was held informally, we cannot release the specific details.
" Meanwhile, a total of 19 Koreans were either missing (nine people) or had been temporarily stranded (10 people) in the flood zone. All 10 Doosan Enerbility employees who were stranded in a relatively safe area away from the accident site have now evacuated.
Two of our nationals who remained in the flood-hit area until the end were also moved to a safe zone by a Nepalese military helicopter the previous day amid fears of a second major flood. Until then, one local project manager/country representative from Doosan Enerbility had remained at the site in an effort to leave together with local employees.
One consul was also rotated in and stayed there with the team. However, they evacuated as concerns over a second flood grew.
Meanwhile, after dispatching the first joint government rapid response team on the 27th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs added nine more members on the 29th. The additional response team consisted of one official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and eight firefighters from the National Fire Agency (NFA).
There had been calls for search operations downstream, as the missing people may have been swept away by the flood. However, the government is currently focusing its search and rescue efforts on the areas where the missing Koreans are believed to have evacuated.
rainman@fnnews. com Reporter Kim Kyung-soo The second joint government rapid response team for the search and rescue of those missing in Nepal's massive floods arrives at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, on the afternoon of the 9th local time.rainman@fnnews. com Reporter Kim Kyung-soo The second joint government rapid response team for the search and rescue of those missing in Nepal's massive floods arrives at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, on the afternoon of the 9th local time.
[email protected] Kim Kyung-soo Reporter