(2nd LD) Helicopter search resumes for 9 missing Koreans in Nepal floods

Seoul, August 31 (Yonhap) -- Doosan Enerbility Co. announced on Monday that one of its helicopters has joined the search for nine South Koreans who went missing in Nepal's recent floods. The helicopter was granted clearance by local authorities for the first time, joining two others secured by Doosan, out of a total of six helicopters provided by South Korea.

The company's helicopter departed at approximately 11 a.m. local time to reach the site where the missing individuals were working at a hydroelectric power plant construction site in Nepal's Rasuwa district when the floods and landslides struck last Wednesday.

While the helicopter surveyed the site, search personnel onboard looked for signs of the nine missing and recorded video for future analysis. The last time a South Korean helicopter was authorized to operate in the region was on Saturday, when a government-leased helicopter made two trips in one day. On Monday, a joint government rapid response team initiated a ground search for the missing, with the team planning to head to Ramche, located about 1-2 kilometers from the site where the missing had been working.

The team, comprising officials from the ministry, police, and fire authorities, arrived in Nepal last week to support rescue efforts. The ground search was launched after the team could not secure helicopter clearance due to adverse weather conditions and a decision by Nepalese authorities to prohibit foreign helicopters from operating.