KB News Desk
South Korean companies Doosan Enerbility and Korea South-East Power Co. intensified their search Tuesday for nine employees missing since flash floods hit Nepal on Wednesday, deploying drones and helicopters over the site of a hydropower plant under construction.
State-run KOEN added four drones equipped with thermal and infrared cameras Tuesday, bringing its total to six, according to the company’s on-site response team. The drones are conducting detailed searches of the power plant’s base camp, powerhouse and areas downriver.
The company had dispatched two drones over each of the two previous days.
Cho Young-hyuk, acting CEO of KOEN, joined the search himself Tuesday, boarding a Nepali military helicopter to survey the site.
Doosan Enerbility launched one of its two chartered helicopters to resume aerial search efforts, while approval for its second helicopter is still pending.
The nine workers, six from Doosan Enerbility and three from KOEN, went missing after flash floods swept through the Rasuwa district of Nepal’s Bagmati province on Aug. 26. They had been working on the Upper Trishuli-1 hydropower project.
Both companies are in continuing talks with Nepali authorities to secure approval for additional helicopter flights, while also expanding their on-site teams. Doosan Enerbility plans to send additional personnel on Tuesday local time, growing its team to around 20 people.
