[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on the 18th that four Koreans trekking in the high mountain area of Annapurna in Nepal went missing after encountering an avalanche.
The accident occurred between 10:30 and 11:00 a.m. local time on the 17th while passing through the Deurali area (altitude 3,230m) on the Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) trekking course when they were caught in an avalanche.
So far, four people are missing, and five others have safely evacuated.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "The Secretary General of the Korea-Nepal Tourism and Trekking Operators Association contacted the Korean Embassy in Nepal at 3 p.m. local time to report the accident." The local embassy immediately requested active search efforts from the police and informed the families of the missing persons in Korea.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with the Korean Embassy in Nepal, has formed an emergency response team, requested a prompt search for the missing persons from Nepalese authorities, and dispatched a rapid response team from headquarters to actively provide necessary consular assistance.
The missing persons are known to be current teachers staying in Nepal for local educational volunteer activities. The Chungnam Office of Education stated, "Four teachers affiliated with the Chungnam Office of Education who went abroad to Nepal for educational volunteer activities have lost contact and their whereabouts are unknown." Upon receiving the accident report, the education office formed an emergency response team and urgently dispatched support personnel to the site.
All 11 teachers participating in this Nepal educational volunteer activity departed on the 13th. They were scheduled to conduct educational volunteer activities at elementary and middle schools and study rooms near Kathmandu, Nepal, until the 25th.
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