Search for Missing Korean in Nepal's Annapurna Faces Difficulties... Ministry of Foreign Affairs Holds Video Conference with Embassy in Nepal to Discuss Measures

Emergency evacuation of rescue teams due to avalanche at missing person accident site, search suspended
Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "Deploying helicopters and all available means swiftly for rapid search"
Families of missing persons move to nearby city Pokhara from accident site

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Four teachers from the Chungnam Education Volunteer Group have been missing for three days following an avalanche in Annapurna, Nepal, and search operations are ongoing. On the 19th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a video conference with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Nepal to discuss the situation. According to the Korean Embassy in Nepal, at 3 p.m. local time (6:15 p.m. Korean time) on the same day, another avalanche occurred at the site of the missing persons, forcing the rescue team conducting the search to withdraw and evacuate urgently, resulting in a suspension of the search for the missing individuals.

Earlier, during the meeting, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received a comprehensive report on the local situation, including the search for the missing persons and support for their families, and discussed future response measures. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official explained, "We focused on discussing ways to deploy available resources such as helicopters as quickly as possible to expedite the search for the missing persons."

The four missing teachers conducted search activities by land and helicopter starting from 8 a.m. local time on the 19th but have not yet been found. In the afternoon, a rapid response team including the Ambassador to Nepal is scheduled to arrive in Pokhara, the accident site, to encourage local search efforts. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official stated, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Nepal will closely cooperate with the Ministry of Education, Chungnam Office of Education, the travel agency involved, and Nepalese authorities to continuously provide consular assistance for the swift resolution of the situation, including search and rescue of the missing persons and support for the families of the victims."

The missing accident occurred between 10:30 and 11 a.m. local time on the 17th (1:45 to 2:15 p.m. Korean time) near the Deurali area (altitude 3,230 m) on the Annapurna Base Camp (A.B.C) trekking course. Among the nine teachers trekking, four who were ahead and two Nepalese guides were swept away by the avalanche, resulting in all six going missing. A volunteer group member who returned to Korea through Incheon International Airport early on the 19th said, "The local weather was so good that such an accident was completely unexpected."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs dispatched two additional rapid response team members to the site in the afternoon. Previously, the first advance team, consisting of two Ministry of Foreign Affairs rapid response team members, two Chungnam Office of Education officials, and three travel agency officials?a total of seven people?arrived in Kathmandu the day before with six family members of the missing persons. These family members departed for Pokhara, a city near the accident site, together with government officials.

The Nepalese authorities formed a search party of 20 people, including local residents and police, and, at the request of the Korean government, deployed an additional 6 to 10 police specialists with rescue experience. Helicopters, which had been unable to operate properly due to bad weather, were deployed to search near the accident site as the snowfall subsided that day.

However, the search team is reportedly facing difficulties due to 4 to 5 meters of snow accumulation near the accident site and continuous snowfall. The 30-member search team has been staying together at accommodation about a 30-minute walk from the site, continuing rescue operations for the missing persons.

Meanwhile, among the 11 members of the education volunteer group, including the four missing teachers, nine arrived at Deurali Lodge on the 16th, stayed for a day, and encountered the avalanche while descending the mountain the next day due to worsening weather conditions. The announcement made by the Chungnam Office of Education on the 17th that the accident occurred on the way back from Sinuwa to Deurali due to bad weather has been found to be incorrect.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.