Korea's Namdong Power is sending a second response team, including the acting president, to assist in the search and rescue of employees who have gone missing due to severe flooding in Nepal. The total number of response personnel has increased to 20, including existing local staff.
On August 30, Namdong Power announced the urgent dispatch of a nine-member second response team, led by acting president Cho Young-hyuk, to Nepal.
Previously, on August 27, the day after the incident, the company sent an initial response team of six members from South Korea. One employee from the Pakistan branch was also dispatched, bringing the total to seven, to assess the situation and establish a coordination system with the Nepalese government and relevant agencies.
With the addition of the nine new members, the total number of personnel in the local response team has expanded to 16. Including four staff members already working at the local branch, the total number of Namdong Power personnel supporting the recovery and search and rescue operations has reached 20.
The second response team is composed mainly of personnel with experience working in Nepal, familiar with the local terrain and culture. Given the poor transportation and communication conditions in the affected area, team members were selected to directly assist in search and rescue operations on-site.
Acting President Cho will personally oversee the search and rescue efforts and strengthen consultations with the Nepalese government and relevant agencies. Namdong Power is maintaining a 24-hour coordination system with the government’s joint rapid response team, the South Korean embassy in Nepal, and the construction company Doosan Enerbility.
The flooding in Nepal has affected the Upper Trishuli-1 (UT-1) hydropower plant construction site, resulting in the disappearance of six Doosan Enerbility employees and three Namdong Power employees. In response, the government has dispatched a joint rapid response team consisting of 11 members, including four from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, five from the Fire Agency, and two from the National Police Agency, to conduct search operations.
The UT-1 project involves the construction and operation of a 216 MW hydropower plant on the Trishuli River, located about 70 kilometers north of Kathmandu. The total project cost is 712.1 billion won, with Namdong Power, the Korea Overseas Infrastructure and Urban Development Corporation (KIND), and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) participating as joint project partners, while Doosan Enerbility is responsible for design, procurement, and construction.
Acting President Cho stated, "We will do our utmost in search and rescue operations to bring our employees back to their families and colleagues as quickly as possible. We will spare no human or material resources to ensure safety on-site and expedite the recovery efforts."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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