The group, comprising 44 members including ministry officials as well as personnel from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the National Fire Agency and other agencies, will conduct joint operations with Nepali authorities in areas affected by severe flooding, particularly in Rasuwa, located in Nepal's north-central Himalayan region near the border with Tibet.
Their mission, which marks their 12th overseas deployment and first in three years since being dispatched to Canada following wildfires in 2023, is expected to last about 10 days and could be extended if necessary.
The missing workers include six employees of Doosan Enerbility and three from Korea South East Power Co. They were working at a hydropower construction site when the floods struck the area.
The South Korean rescue team conducted a joint aerial search with Nepali authorities aboard a helicopter the previous day, about a week after last Wednesday's catastrophic disaster, but made no progress.
About 10 stranded Doosan Enerbility workers who were evacuated from the affected area returned home on Monday, except for its site manager, who chose to remain behind to support rescue efforts.
Meanwhile, the death toll from the disaster has risen to more than 1,000 as of Wednesday, with over 4,000 people still missing.
AJP Takeaways
• An additional 44 South Korean rescue workers arrived in Kathmandu to join search efforts for nine missing South Koreans.
• The group will work with Nepali authorities in flood-hit areas, particularly Rasuwa, for about 10 days.
• Nepal's disaster death toll has surpassed 1,000, with more than 4,000 people still missing.
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