9 Koreans remain missing in Nepal floods; gov't team to be dispatched
A resident walks along a street covered in mud following flash floods and a landslide disaster in Devghat, in Nepal's Nuwakot district, Wednesday. AFP-Yonhap
Nine Koreans remain unaccounted for following massive flooding in Nepal, with the government set to dispatch a joint rapid response team to the scene Thursday to support search and rescue efforts, Seoul's foreign ministry said.
The nine missing Koreans are six employees of plant builder Doosan Enerbility Co. and three of Korea South-East Power Co., a state-run power generation company. They were working on a hydropower plant in Nepal's Rasuwa district when the flooding occurred Wednesday, according to the ministry.
Separately, 10 other Koreans affiliated with Doosan who had been stranded in the area were confirmed safe but were still awaiting rescue, the ministry said. They were among about 200 foreign employees who had evacuated the area while working on the construction project.
The government team, comprising officials from the foreign ministry, police and fire authorities, is scheduled to head to Nepal and arrive in Kathmandu later Thursday, the ministry said.
President Lee Jae Myung has ordered the government to make every effort to search for and rescue the missing Koreans, mobilizing all available resources.
"President Lee also instructed us to work closely with the Nepalese government and local authorities, support the families of those who remain unaccounted for, ensure the safety of Koreans still in the area and do our utmost to prevent further casualties," Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said while presiding over an emergency response meeting on Wednesday.
"I will also speak with Nepal's foreign minister and ask for cooperation," Cho added.
Doosan Enerbility and Korea South-East Power have also set up their own emergency response teams and are working to dispatch field response teams to the accident site, officials said.
The massive flash floods occurred near the Nepal-Tibet border, killing more than 160 people and leaving hundreds of others missing, most of them foreigners, according to foreign media reports.