A large flash flood associated with the collapse of glacial ice and rock struck Nepal’s Rasuwa district and areas near the Nepal–China border on August 26, 2026. A hydropower plant construction site was also damaged, and according to South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, contact has been lost with nine South Korean workers. The key facts currently confirmed are that an aerial search was conducted without confirming the missing workers’ location or survival, while air supply began inside a power plant tunnel for people who may be trapped.
Key Developments
According to South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the nine South Koreans who lost contact are six employees of Doosan Enerbility and three employees of Korea South-East Power. Ten other Doosan Enerbility workers were temporarily isolated at the same site but moved to a safe area.
The South Korean government and corporate response teams attempted searches using helicopters and drones. However, as of August 29, no signs of the missing workers or survivors had been found during the aerial search. This does not mean that their deaths or survival had been determined; it means only that no traces were found in the aerial search conducted at that time.
The exact location and survival status of the nine South Koreans remained unconfirmed as of 7:35 a.m. on August 30.
Current Status
The Nepal Army inserted a pipe into the tunnel at the Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project and began sending air inside. Reports indicated that more than 100 people may be trapped in the tunnel. Nepal Public Media also reported that specialized tunnel-rescue teams from India and China had been deployed to the affected area under coordination by the Nepalese government.
Tunnel headcounts must be viewed separately because estimates vary by facility and source. The figure of more than 100 refers to estimates associated with the Trishuli 3A tunnel, while local reports also said that more than 500 foreigners were missing at sites involving multiple hydropower plant tunnels. These figures cannot be combined into a single tunnel headcount, nor can all 500-plus people be interpreted as South Koreans.
According to figures compiled by Nepal’s disaster authorities on August 29, 675 people had reportedly died in Nepal and 2,498 were missing. More than 3,700 people had reportedly been rescued. Because these figures reflect an assessment at a specific point in time, they may change as rescue operations and damage assessments continue.
Impact
The possibility of additional flooding is placing direct pressure on rescue operations and access to the site. Nepalese authorities warned of possible further flooding on August 30 and urged residents in affected areas to remain alert. Continued flooding and severe weather may restrict both aerial searches and access by land, and no signs of the missing workers or survivors were found during the initial aerial search.
South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a special travel advisory for Nepal’s Bagmati, Gandaki, Koshi, and Lumbini provinces beginning at 9 p.m. on August 28. The advisory recommended canceling or postponing visits to the affected areas and, for people already there, moving to a safe location.
When assessing the current situation, it is important to keep the following three points separate:
- The nine missing South Koreans are workers from two companies, and their location and survival status remain unconfirmed.
- More than 100 people may be trapped in the Trishuli 3A tunnel, where air supply has begun.
- Nepal’s nationwide death and missing-person figures are separate from estimates of people trapped in hydropower plant tunnels.
Next Update Points
The status of the nine South Koreans should be reconfirmed through official announcements from South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the government response team. Updates on the tunnel rescue may come from Nepalese authorities and the local rescue teams’ operations. While additional flood warnings remain in effect, the search area, accessible zones, and damage figures may continue to change.
For now, the confirmed conclusion is limited. Nine South Koreans lost contact after major flooding in Nepal, and no traces were found during the aerial search on August 29. At the same time, the Nepal Army and international specialist teams began tunnel-rescue operations, and air supply started in the Trishuli 3A tunnel. The workers’ location, survival status, and rescue outcome should be assessed based on new official confirmations.