Flooding along the Nepal-China border has resulted in over 1,130 deaths, with approximately 4,400 people reported missing. As a week has passed since the disaster, the chances of finding survivors are diminishing. A South Korean emergency rescue team (KDRT) arrived in Nepal on September 2 to begin search and rescue operations for nine missing South Koreans.
According to reports from AFP and Reuters, the Nepal Disaster Management Authority has confirmed at least 1,114 fatalities within Nepal. Including 16 deaths in China, the total death toll stands at 1,130.
The number of missing persons includes 3,916 in Nepal and 546 in China, totaling 4,462. Among the missing in Nepal, 583 are foreign nationals, while 261 are from China. However, as power and communication services are being restored, some missing foreign tourists have been confirmed alive.
Local authorities are focusing their search efforts around hydropower plants, where hundreds are believed to be stranded. The Nepal Disaster Management Authority reports that at least 639 individuals are missing or isolated at various hydropower facilities, many of whom are thought to be trapped in tunnels.
Rescue teams are attempting to clear large boulders blocking tunnel entrances and remove mud and debris to gain access. However, some tunnels are filled with mud, and large amounts of water have flooded in during the excavation process, complicating rescue efforts.
On the previous day, three bodies were recovered from the UT-1 and Chilime hydropower plant tunnels. Although rescue teams have penetrated hundreds of meters into some tunnels, they are facing challenges due to accumulated mud and debris.
As the week progresses, concerns are growing about the decreasing likelihood of finding survivors. Vinod Basnet, a retired general who led search and rescue operations during the 2015 Nepal earthquake, noted that the nature of flood damage reduces survival chances over time.
The Nepalese government is shifting its focus from search and rescue to rehabilitation and reconstruction. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal announced plans to prioritize the protection of affected residents and provide medical and psychological support while concentrating on recovery efforts.
There are also concerns about secondary disasters due to the large number of displaced individuals. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that residents living in cramped conditions face an increased risk of disease outbreaks. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) estimates that debris from buildings, rocks, and mud resulting from the floods could weigh at least 2.2 million tons.
The search for the missing South Koreans is expected to accelerate. The 44-member KDRT arrived at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on September 2 at 6:27 a.m. via military transport.
The KDRT is deploying five rescue dogs, high-resolution drones, acoustic and video detection devices, and thermal imaging equipment to focus their search efforts in the area where the nine South Koreans went missing. They plan to move to the Battar campsite in Nuwakot, Bagmati Province, a day earlier than initially scheduled, to commence thorough search preparations.
The government had previously dispatched a 20-member joint rapid response team to conduct aerial and ground searches. Firefighters from the rapid response team are also set to join the KDRT in ongoing search efforts.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is coordinating with Nepalese authorities to secure the last known locations of the missing individuals' mobile phones. If they can obtain the last recorded locations from local cell towers, it may help refine the search area.
Korea Southern Power and Doosan Enerbility, the companies responsible for the construction of the UT-1 hydropower plant where the missing individuals worked, are also deploying helicopters, drones, and search dogs to continue on-site search operations.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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