Doosan, Korea Southern Dispatch Nepal Flood Team

A severe flood in Nepal's Himalayan mountain region has left nine Korean workers unaccounted for at a hydropower plant construction site, prompting Doosan Enerbility and Korea South-East Power to dispatch urgent response personnel. The companies are responsible for the construction and operation of the 216-megawatt UT-1 Hydropower Plant, which is the largest foreign direct investment project in Nepal.

Doosan Enerbility will send a team of seven to eight people, including CEO Jeong Yeon-in, while Korea South-East Power plans to deploy six employees to set up a rescue camp.

So far, nine Korean personnel are believed to be missing, six affiliated with Doosan Enerbility and one local hire, while Korea South-East Power has yet to confirm the whereabouts of three construction management personnel. Meanwhile, 10 Korean employees who were previously isolated have been evacuated to a safe location with around 200 foreign workers still waiting to be rescued.

The Upper Trishuli (UT)-1 Hydropower Plant, located 70 km northwest of Kathmandu, is being constructed on the Trishuli River and is facing significant delays due to the flooding. The project's completion and commercial operation schedule, initially set for the end of the year, has been significantly disrupted. The response team arriving in Nepal will prioritize support for the search for the missing workers and securing the safety of remaining employees.

However, the project's disruption is expected to significantly delay its recovery and completion, which had been anticipated to increase Nepal's total installed capacity by about 10%.