Helicopter, Drone and Ground Teams Search Nepal Flood Zone for Nine Missing South Koreans
South Korea’s rapid-response team has continued a combined helicopter, drone and ground search in Nepal for nine South Korean nationals missing after catastrophic flooding struck the Rasuwa district on August 26. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said the missing workers include six employees of Doosan Enerbility and three from Korea South-East Power who had been assigned to a hydropower construction project.
Two chartered helicopters carried members of the Korean response team from Kathmandu toward the affected area on August 29, according to Yonhap, although weather, terrain and local operating restrictions have complicated access. Earlier aerial searches reportedly did not locate the workers, and local authorities later declined some requested helicopter operations because of safety concerns.
By September 1, the response team had also begun moving personnel overland toward Dhunche and nearby search areas while using drones to examine locations that may be difficult to reach on foot. A Korean official said the operation had made no meaningful progress at that point. The wider disaster response has relied heavily on helicopters to evacuate stranded survivors and move rescuers through flood-damaged mountain corridors.
Why it matters
The operation illustrates the value—and the limits—of rotorcraft in Himalayan disaster response. Helicopters can bypass washed-out roads and rapidly assess isolated terrain, but safe access still depends on weather, landing options, airspace clearance and changing hazards after major flooding.
Source: Arirang report, corroborated by South Korea’s Foreign Ministry statements and Yonhap coverage
