Korea issues travel advisory for 4 Nepal provinces over flood risks
A drone view of firefighters conducting search and rescue operations at a damaged road leading to Gyirong Port after a mudslide, in Gyirong county, Shigatse, Tibet Autonomous Region, China, Friday. cnsphoto via Reuters-Yonhap
The foreign ministry issued a special travel advisory Friday for four provinces in Nepal hit by massive flooding and landslides amid concerns over further disasters.
The advisory took effect at 9 p.m. Friday for the Bagmati, Gandaki, Koshi and Lumbini provinces, while a Level 1 travel advisory, calling for increased caution, remains in effect for the rest of Nepal, according to the ministry.
The ministry advised South Korean nationals planning to visit the affected areas to cancel or postpone their trips and urged those already there to pay particular attention to their safety and move to safer areas unless they have urgent reasons to remain.
"We will continue to closely monitor the flood situation in Nepal and review whether further adjustments to the travel advisories are necessary," the ministry said in a release.
The massive flooding and landslides that struck Nepal's north-central Himalayan region Wednesday have caused widespread damage and left hundreds of people dead or missing.
Nine South Koreans working at a hydropower plant construction site in the Rasuwa district remain unaccounted for, while 10 other Koreans who had been isolated in the affected area have been moved to safety, the ministry said.
Nepalese authorities have warned of the risk of further flooding as rising water levels in a newly formed lake threaten to overflow, prompting calls for residents and rescue workers in downstream areas to move to safety, according to foreign media reports.