South Korea Dispatches Second Disaster Relief Team to Nepal for Flood Recovery

South Korea sent a second overseas emergency relief team to Nepal on Friday to assist with reconstruction and recovery following devastating floods last month. The eight member Korea Disaster Relief Team departed at 2:55 a.m. aboard a KC-330 military transport aircraft and was expected to arrive in Kathmandu around 9 a.m. local time.

The aircraft transported approximately 4 tons of relief supplies valued at 180 million won, or 134,200 US dollars, which included clothing, blankets, and tents donated by South Korean entities and companies. The team consists of personnel from the National Medical Center, the Korea International Cooperation Agency, the National Fire Agency, and the foreign ministry. This second contingent will conduct a seven day mission focused on recovery.

This deployment follows a first contingent of 44 members that was dispatched on September 2 for a 10 day search and rescue operation. That team is scheduled to return home on Saturday morning. Additionally, a government joint rapid response team will be reorganized into a seven member group. This group includes forensic and police officials who will work with Nepalese counterparts at a forensic science laboratory to help identify victims.

The mission comes as Nepal shifts its focus toward reconstruction. However, the Seoul government stated it will continue to support search efforts for nine missing South Koreans. These individuals, including three employees of Korea South-East Power Co. and six employees of Doosan Enerbility Co. went missing on August 26 during floods and landslides in the Rasuwa District near the Nepal Tibet border while working at a hydropower plant construction site.

Foreign media reports indicate that more than 1,400 people have been killed and over 5,600 remain missing across Nepal and China's Tibet Autonomous Region following the disaster.