South Korea sends rescue team to Nepal for 9 missing nationals

South Korea on Saturday deployed a rescue team to Nepal to search for nine of its nationals who went missing after deadly flash floods struck the Himalayan nation, according to Seoul’s Foreign Ministry.

The employees of energy companies Korea South-East Power and Doosan Enerbility lost contact after sudden flooding hit Nepal’s Rasuwa region on Wednesday morning.

They had been working on the construction of a hydropower plant, the ministry said in a statement.

The rescue team boarded two chartered helicopters to search areas where the missing workers are believed to be, local daily Korea Herald reported.

Ten other Doosan employees who had been stranded at another location were rescued earlier.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun convened an emergency meeting after the workers went missing.

Cho also instructed the South Korean Embassy in Kathmandu to maintain close coordination with Nepali authorities and ensure the safety of other South Koreans still awaiting rescue.

More than 600 people have been killed in flash floods and landslides across Nepal and China, while around 3,000 remain unaccounted for, according to media reports and local officials.