Helicopter searches by Korea South-East Power (KOEN) and Doosan Enerbility to find nine Koreans missing after massive flooding in Nepal have begun. But the Nepalese military authorities are only granting limited helicopter operations over safety concerns, and worsening local weather is hindering the search.
According to government authorities and local corporations response teams on the 29th, Korea South-East Power (KOEN) and Doosan Enerbility began helicopter searches for the missing on the 28th.
The nine Koreans out of contact are six Doosan Enerbility employees and three Korea South-East Power (KOEN) employees who were working at a local hydropower plant construction site.
A helicopter leased by Korea South-East Power (KOEN) received approval from the Nepalese military authorities and searched the flood-stricken area for the first time on the 28th. The Nepalese authorities, concerned about the possibility of a second flood, had not authorized helicopter operations, then granted approval just before sunset, and the KOEN helicopter conducted a brief initial search. However, there has been no word yet that the missing have been found.
Korea South-East Power (KOEN) and Doosan Enerbility are standing by in Kathmandu, 70 kilometers from the accident site, to start full-fledged helicopter searches from today. The corporations are receiving helicopter operation permits sequentially from the Nepalese authorities, but poor local weather remains a variable.
On the Doosan Enerbility helicopter, a Nepalese local and a Korean Doosan employee familiar with the disaster area through work experience at the accident site will board together. Drones will also be deployed because the affected area is large. The search will focus on areas such as high ground where the missing may have taken shelter.
However, with rain in the disaster area in the morning and poor weather conditions, helicopters have not yet been able to take off. In the accident area, rescue operations for the missing using helicopters have been temporarily suspended due to severe weather. The Nepalese military authorities are said to be granting helicopter operation permits very sparingly out of safety concerns.
Meanwhile, Doosan Group Chairman Park Jeong-won is scheduled to arrive in Nepal this afternoon on a Korean Air Lines direct flight to Kathmandu. Park plans to directly support search and rescue operations from Kathmandu.