On August 29, a government joint response team in Nepal conducted two aerial searches using a chartered helicopter for nine missing South Koreans following severe flooding, but reported no significant results.
According to Yonhap News, a representative from the response team spoke with reporters at a hotel in Kathmandu, stating, "We operated the same helicopter twice, but unfortunately, we did not find any survivors."
The representative added, "We flew over the area where the nine missing individuals are presumed to be, but the dense trees and steep terrain made it difficult to search visually."
The first search took place around 11:45 a.m. with four personnel from the fire department on board, followed by a second flight at 12:38 p.m. with four members from the fire department, police, and foreign ministry.
He noted, "Each helicopter flight lasted between 40 to 50 minutes, with about 20 to 25 minutes spent hovering over the accident site. While it is conceivable to drop or land near the accident site for rescue operations, the terrain is challenging. The ground needs to be stable, and landing carelessly could lead to accidents."
Despite analyzing video footage obtained during the flights, the representative stated, "The assessment did not reveal anything significantly different from what we observed visually. It has been confirmed that Nepalese military assets were deployed for search and rescue operations, but unfortunately, there were no findings of survivors."
Meanwhile, ten South Koreans who were previously rescued have been transported to Kathmandu for rest.
However, the response team representative remarked, "We are not fully aware of their condition, but I understand that the company is taking appropriate measures," without providing further details.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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