(LEAD) S. Korean response teams continue search for 9 missing in Nepal floods

Kathmandu, Aug. 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korean search teams persisted in their mission for nine missing nationals, submerged in Nepal's flash floods, on Saturday. Six employees from Doosan Enerbility Co. and three from Korea South-East Power Co. were unaccounted for after the catastrophic floods in the north-central Himalayan border area on Wednesday.

Ten other Doosan workers had been evacuated to safety. An official said Doosan Power intended to resume helicopter searches on Saturday, pending Nepali authorities' approval. The power generator had conducted a brief helicopter search the previous day, but it did not locate the missing individuals. The government-led response team and Doosan are awaiting Nepal's authorization for helicopter searches.

The teams have employed drones to probe shelter locations, but unpredictable weather and the threat of further flooding have hindered their efforts. Lim Sang-woo, head of the government rapid response team, pledged to expedite the search. The Nepali military had also conducted searches, but no signs of the missing were found. The government and corporate teams are contemplating expanding the search along the Trishuli River to cover downstream areas and are preparing for the possibility that the missing might have been swept away.

The return of the rescued Koreans is yet to be determined. While recovering from the ordeal, the priority remains rest, and their health is being assessed for air travel. The death toll from the floods has risen to nearly 600, with around 2,500 others still unaccounted for, as secondary flooding concerns intensify with overflowing barrier lakes.