"Run!" screams captured in final video before Nepali Korean worker disappearance

Employees at the hydropower plant in higher ground also evacuated immediately after filming the video. Screenshot from Jambale Sherpa's Facebook. [Financial News] A video showing the tense moment when the unprecedented glacial lake outburst flood that struck Nepal on the 26th local time swept over the office building of the hydropower plant where nine missing South Korean workers had been employed is spreading on social media and elsewhere.
In the video reviewed on the 30th, the urgency is captured as employees working on higher ground shout, "Run!" to the Korean workers in the lower area. The footage was taken by workers on higher ground, which was relatively safer. Within seconds, however, the massive glacial lake outburst flood engulfed the Korean office building, forcing even the workers on higher ground to evacuate in a hurry.
The Korean workers in the lower area had not yet made it to higher ground. Our government’s rapid response team and the corporate team are conducting helicopter searches, considering the possibility that some of the nine missing Korean employees may have been stranded on higher ground near the office building. A helicopter dispatched by Korea South-East Power Co.
, Ltd. carried out the first search on the 28th.
The following day, on the 29th, the Government Rapid Response Team also sent up two helicopters in succession to search the accident site. So far, however, the effort has produced no significant results.
There is also concern that the missing people may have been swept away by the flood. Our government’s rapid response team has not yet expanded the search to downstream areas.
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with the families of the nine missing Korean workers on the 29th. The government has not disclosed the details of the meeting.
The families reportedly voiced frustration that helicopter searches began too late, after the golden hour had already passed. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that immediate helicopter deployment was difficult because Nepalese authorities had not granted permission due to concerns about a second flood.
"Because the meeting was held unofficially, we cannot disclose specific details," the ministry said.
[email protected] Kim Kyung-soo Reporter