Korea steps up search for 9 missing nationals, expands humanitarian aid to Nepal

Korea is intensifying the search for nine nationals missing in Nepal after floods and landslides struck on Aug. 26, while expanding humanitarian aid to the disaster-hit country. The 44-member Korea Disaster Relief Team has arrived in Kathmandu and set up a base camp in Batar in Nuwakot district. The missing Koreans disappeared while working at the Upper Trishuli-1 hydropower plant site in Rasuwa, and search efforts have found no meaningful clues yet.

The nine missing Koreans were working at the Upper Trishuli-1 hydropower plant construction site in Rasuwa district.

Six of the missing were employees of Doosan Enerbility Co. and three were from Korea South-East Power Co.

Rescue workers used drones, search dogs and other equipment in ground and aerial searches in Ramche and Dhunche on Wednesday.

Korea sent DNA testing equipment at Nepal’s request and about 38,000 blankets as part of relief assistance.

The Seoul government had earlier announced $1 million in humanitarian assistance to Nepal through international organizations.

Published Sep 3, 2026 12:03 pm KST

Members of a Korean government rapid response team travel through Ramche in Rasuwa district, Nepal, Sept. 2, to search for the Upper Trishuli-1 (UT-1) hydropower plant site following massive floods that left nine South Koreans missing. Yonhap

More than a week after devastating floods struck Nepal, Korea is intensifying efforts to locate nine nationals who remain unaccounted for, while expanding its humanitarian support for the disaster-hit country, the foreign ministry said Thursday.

The 44-member Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) has arrived in Kathmandu and is working to launch search-and-rescue operations in earnest in areas devastated by the floods and landslides that struck on Aug. 26, according to the ministry.

"The government's rapid response team dispatched last week was incorporated into the KDRT as of yesterday, and they now operate as one team," a ministry official said. "KDRT chief Lee Kyoo-ho is scheduled to meet with the military commander in the Batar region to coordinate operations."

The KDRT set up a base camp in Batar in neighboring Nuwakot district on Wednesday, a major stop on the route to flood-hit Rasuwa, he added.

The nine Koreans went missing following last week's massive floods and landslides while working at the Upper Trishuli-1 (UT-1) hydropower plant construction site in Rasuwa district. Six were employees of Doosan Enerbility Co. and three of Korea South-East Power Co.

Rescue workers conducted ground and aerial searches in Ramche and Dhunche in Rasuwa on Wednesday, using drones, search dogs and various types of advanced equipment to locate the missing, though no meaningful clues have yet been found, officials said.

Dhunche is about 2 kilometers from the weir, the upper dam of the UT-1 hydropower plant. Ramche is also about 2 km from the campsite where at least some of missing persons are presumed to have stayed at the time of the accident.

"We plan to expand the search to areas where the missing people are believed to have been, including the main camp and the weir, as well as mountain slopes that could have served as escape routes," the ministry official said.

The companies have also set up their own response teams and have been working closely with the government team.

The search, however, faces various challenges, including rugged terrain and areas covered in mud that are difficult to access.

Korea is also consulting with Nepalese authorities on options such as tracking the missing persons' mobile phone locations and gathering information from Nepalese survivors and local officials about areas where the nine may have been.

"The KDRT was dispatched also for broader humanitarian assistance, and its operations will be coordinated with Nepalese authorities," he added.

Separately, Korea is expanding humanitarian assistance to Nepal. The ministry sent DNA testing equipment at the request of the Nepalese government and about 38,000 blankets as part of its relief assistance.

The Seoul government earlier announced $1 million in humanitarian assistance to Nepal through international organizations following the disaster.

As of Tuesday, more than 1,000 people had been killed and nearly 4,500 remained missing following the disaster, according to foreign media reports.

8月26日尼泊尔发生洪水和山体滑坡灾害后，9名韩国公民失踪。韩国正加紧搜寻失踪人员，并扩大对受灾国的援助。由44名成员组成的韩国灾害救援队已抵达加德满都，并在努瓦科特县巴塔尔设立了营地。失踪的韩国公民是在拉苏瓦的特里苏里河上游1号水电站工地工作时失踪的，目前搜寻工作尚未发现任何重要线索。

失踪的九名韩国人当时在罗素瓦县的上特里苏里-1水电站建筑工地工作。

失踪人员中有六人是斗山能源公司的员工，三人是韩国东南电力公司的员工。

周三，救援人员在拉姆切和杜恩切地区使用无人机、搜救犬和其他设备进行地面和空中搜索。

应尼泊尔请求，韩国运送了DNA检测设备，并提供了约38000条毛毯作为救济援助。

首尔政府此前已宣布通过国际组织向尼泊尔提供100万美元的人道主义援助。

发布于2026年9月3日下午12:03（韩国标准时间）

9月2日，韩国政府快速反应小组成员前往尼泊尔拉苏瓦县拉姆切镇，搜寻上特里苏里1号（UT-1）水电站遗址。此前，该地区发生特大洪水，导致9名韩国人失踪。（韩联社）

尼泊尔遭受毁灭性洪水袭击一周多后，韩国外交部周四表示，韩国正在加紧寻找仍然下落不明的九名韩国公民，同时扩大对这个受灾国家的援助。

据该部消息，由 44 名成员组成的韩国灾害救援队 (KDRT) 已抵达加德满都，正在全力开展搜救行动，以应对 8 月 26 日发生的洪水和山体滑坡灾害。

一位国防部官员表示：“上周派出的政府快速反应小组已于昨日并入韩国国防反应小组（KDRT），现在他们作为一个整体运作。KDRT组长李教浩计划与巴塔尔地区的军事指挥官会面，协调行动。”

他补充说，KDRT周三在邻近的努瓦科特区巴塔尔设立了大本营，巴塔尔是前往受洪水侵袭的拉苏瓦途中的一个重要站点。

上周，韩国发生大规模洪水和山体滑坡，9名韩国人在罗水道县上特里苏里1号（UT-1）水电站施工现场工作时失踪。其中6人是斗山能源公司的员工，3人是韩国东南电力公司的员工。

官员表示，救援人员周三在拉苏瓦的拉姆切和杜恩切进行了地面和空中搜索，使用了无人机、搜救犬和各种类型的先进设备来寻找失踪者，但尚未发现任何有意义的线索。

杜恩切距离UT-1水电站上游大坝（堰）约2公里。拉姆切距离事故发生时据信至少有一些失踪人员居住的营地也约2公里。

“我们计划将搜索范围扩大到失踪人员可能出现过的区域，包括主营地和堰坝，以及可能作为逃生路线的山坡，”该部官员表示。

这些公司也成立了自己的应急小组，并与政府小组密切合作。

然而，搜寻工作面临着各种挑战，包括崎岖的地形和难以进入的泥泞地区。

韩国还在与尼泊尔当局协商各种方案，例如追踪失踪人员的手机位置，并从尼泊尔幸存者和当地官员那里收集有关这九人可能所在区域的信息。

他还补充说：“KDRT也被派往尼泊尔提供更广泛的人道主义援助，其行动将与尼泊尔当局协调进行。”

此外，韩国正在扩大对尼泊尔的人道主义援助。应尼泊尔政府请求，韩国外交部向尼泊尔运送了DNA检测设备，并提供了约3.8万条毛毯作为救济援助的一部分。

首尔政府此前宣布，将通过国际组织向尼泊尔提供100万美元的人道主义援助，以应对这场灾难。

据外媒报道，截至周二，这场灾难已造成超过1000人死亡，近4500人失踪。