Korean helicopter search canceled for 9 missing in Nepal floods
Korean rescue officials get on a helicopter at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, Saturday, to conduct search operations. Courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The government and Doosan Enerbility Co. canceled plans Sunday to send two helicopters to search for nine Koreans missing in Nepal's devastating floods after local authorities declined their requests over safety issues, officials said.
Two helicopters had been scheduled to be used: one chartered by the government's rapid response team and the other chartered by Doosan Enerbility.
Flight authorization was not granted by the Nepali government, however, putting them on standby until further notice.
On Saturday, a government-charted helicopter carrying four rapid response team members flew twice from Kathmandu toward the flood site, becoming reportedly the only non-Nepali aircraft cleared to fly that day.
The helicopter reportedly failed to land, and the search was instead conducted visually, with footage from the flight analyzed.
Six employees of Doosan Enerbility and three of Korea South-East Power Co. remain missing since the massive floods struck Nepal's north-central Himalayan border area Wednesday.
They had been working at a hydroelectric power plant construction site in the Rasuwa district when the floods hit the region.
Ten other Doosan workers who had been isolated at a different location have been moved to safety.