9 of 10 isolated Koreans moved to safety after devastating Nepal floods

Nine of 10 South Koreans who had been isolated following massive flooding in Nepal were moved to safety Thursday, while one remains at the affected site, Seoul's foreign ministry said.

The 10 South Koreans affiliated with plant builder Doosan Enerbility Co. had been staying at a temporary shelter after evacuating the area, along with about 200 foreign employees working on a hydropower plant construction project in Nepal's Rasuwa district, according to the ministry.

Nine of the 10 were transported by a Nepalese military helicopter to a safer area earlier in the day, while the remaining South Korean, a Doosan site manager, stayed at the construction site, it added.

"The remaining person will stay at the site until all other employees, including local workers, have been evacuated," a ministry official said. "All 10 are in good health and are expected to travel to Kathmandu tomorrow."

Separately, nine other South Koreans -- six Doosan employees and three of the state-run Korea South-East Power Co. -- remain unaccounted for after a massive flash flood and mudslide struck the area Wednesday.

The missing South Koreans and those who were stranded had been staying in different areas. Many of the offices and accommodations where the missing workers had been staying are believed to have been swept away by the floods, officials said.

Earlier in the day, the 11-member rapid response team, comprising officials from the foreign ministry, police and fire authorities, departed for Nepal and is scheduled to arrive in Kathmandu that evening, the ministry said.

"The team will work closely with our embassy in Nepal and Nepalese authorities to make every effort to search for and rescue our nationals," ministry spokesperson Park Doo-soon said at a press briefing.

"As about 20,000 South Koreans visit Nepal each year for tourism, we are continuing to check whether any other nationals have been affected," he added.

Doosan and the power generation company have also set up their own emergency response teams and dispatched field response teams to the accident site.

It remains unclear how search and rescue operations will proceed. Access to the affected area is difficult due to the widespread damage and rugged terrain, officials said, adding that further discussions on the ground are needed.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun suggested the government could send a larger-scale rescue team to Nepal, if necessary.

"If we send additional personnel, it would have to be dozens of people," Cho said.

Cho held phone talks with Nepalese Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal and expressed condolences to the Nepalese people affected by the disaster. He also asked Nepal's government to actively support the search and rescue of the missing South Koreans.

During an emergency meeting Thursday, President Lee Jae Myung instructed officials to make all-out efforts to safeguard the people's lives and safety by mobilizing all available resources.

Following the meeting, the government decided to dispatch an Air Force KC-330 transport aircraft to support the search and rescue operation in Nepal, a defense ministry official told Yonhap News Agency by phone, adding that details are being discussed with the foreign ministry.

The two Korean firms are involved in the construction of the Upper Trishuli-1 (UT-1) hydropower plant on the Trishuli River, about 70 kilometers northwest of Kathmandu.

The 216-megawatt facility began construction in January 2022 and was scheduled for completion and commercial operation by year-end. But flood damage at the site is expected to significantly delay the project.

The death toll and number of people missing from the disaster have continued to rise, reaching at least 165 and 826, respectively, many of the missing foreigners, according to foreign media reports.

The U.S. Geological Survey has confirmed that a glacial collapse and debris flow caused the devastating impacts downstream.