Nepal floods leave more than 1,200 dead and 6,000 missing as South Korean minister arrives for rescue talks

Nepal floods triggered by a collapsed glacier have killed more than 1,200 people and left nearly 6,000 missing, prompting South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun to arrive in the country on Sept. 5, 2026, for talks on intensified search-and-rescue efforts and long-term reconstruction support. [3] The disaster struck on Aug. 26 in Rasuwa District near the Nepal-Tibet border, sweeping away nine South Korean workers at a hydropower plant construction site. [3]

Overview of the Nepal Flood Disaster

The Nepal floods and landslides on Aug. 26 devastated areas including Rasuwa District, where massive floods hit hydropower plant construction sites and left around 900 workers missing overall. [3] More than 1,200 people had been killed and nearly 6,000 remained missing as of Wednesday, according to foreign media reports. [3] The floods were caused by a massive landslide in the mountains triggered when a glacier collapsed, sending enormous amounts of water, mud and debris rushing down Himalayan valleys. [5] Up to 500 workers may be trapped in tunnels at the affected sites. [5] The disaster impacted multiple hydropower plants, with searches now focused on 12 such facilities. [5]

South Korean Response and Ministerial Visit

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun arrives in Nepal for flood rescue and reconstruction talks. — Source: yonhap

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun arrived in Nepal on Sept. 5, 2026, to begin a three-day visit focused on coordinating support for search-and-rescue operations following the Nepal floods. [3] Cho plans to hold talks with Nepalese Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal and meet with other Nepalese government officials to discuss rescue efforts and long-term cooperation in areas including reconstruction. [3] He also intends to meet with the families of the nine missing South Koreans, who include six employees of Doosan Enerbility Co. and three of Korea South-East Power Co. [3] Cho stated he will ask for Nepal's support to facilitate and intensify search efforts for the missing nationals. [3] The minister said he will do his best and promised to speed up search efforts for the missing nationals so that they can be rescued alive. [3] Cho plans to encourage the Korea Disaster Relief Team working at the disaster site and meet with officials from the companies conducting their own search efforts. [3] Before departing, Cho noted that conditions in Nepal are very difficult and that he will meet with the families of the workers who remain unaccounted for to discuss measures together. [4] He added that South Korea and Nepal are longtime friends and partners and that he plans to discuss how to rebuild the affected areas as well as South Korea's support and possible participation in reconstruction efforts. [4] After completing the Nepal visit, Cho is expected to travel directly to France to accompany President Lee Jae Myung on his state visit. [3]

Recent Rescue Operations and Recoveries

A joint Nepalese-South Korean rescue team saved a Chinese man from a tunnel 225 meters inside the Upper Trishuli hydropower plant site where the South Koreans went missing. [3] The team also recovered six unidentified bodies, with the Korea Disaster Relief Team finding one additional body. [3] A 64-year-old Nepali woman was rescued alive in Nuwakot after being buried under mud and ruins for 10 days, with her family having begun preparing her funeral. [5] The Korea Disaster Relief Team, working with Nepalese authorities and company teams, is using helicopters, drones, search dogs and other equipment at multiple hydropower sites. [3] Rescue teams from China, South Korea and the United States are searching at 12 hydropower plants where around 900 workers remain missing. [5] The Chinese survivor was found after calling for help multiple times when he saw lights from rescuers, though they initially did not hear him, and he had been inside the tunnel for 10 days. [5] The woman was found covered in mud in the fourth floor of a house buried under ruins and was transported to safety, given water and wrapped in a gray blanket before being flown to a hospital in Kathmandu. [5] Two Nepalese workers were rescued on Friday. [5]

Survivor Accounts from the Flood

A mother recounted hearing her 5-year-old child calling "Mummy, mummy" during the flood chaos. [1] The Chinese survivor stated that when rescuers saved him that day and shone lights on him, he could not believe it. [5] He had shouted several times for help after seeing lights from the rescue crews inside the tunnel. [5] The 64-year-old woman was discovered by excavator operators after her family had assumed she was dead due to the massive destruction in the city. [5] Ganesh Kumar Nepal, head of Bidur-10, said the excavator operators turned out to be real gods for her. [5]

Border Area Destruction

At the flood-destroyed China-Nepal border crossing, once a busy port, there are now no signs of prior activity according to Reuters witnesses. [2] The area shows complete destruction with no remaining indications of its former operations as a bustling crossing point. [2]

Ongoing Search Challenges and International Cooperation

The Korea Disaster Relief Team continues operations alongside Nepalese authorities and corporate response teams using specialized equipment amid difficult conditions in Nepal. [4] Discussions between South Korean and Nepalese officials focus on both immediate rescue intensification and long-term recovery support for the affected areas. [3] Cho emphasized that he will discuss future plans with the emergency relief team dispatched to the site. [4] Rescue efforts at the hydropower sites involve coordination among teams from multiple countries to locate the missing workers, including those potentially trapped in tunnels. [5] The Nepalese military announced the joint rescue of the Chinese man from the same site where the nine South Koreans went missing. [3]