"How Could Such an Accident Happen?" Chungnam Office of Education Grieves Sudden Disappearance News

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] On the 18th, when it became known that four active teachers from the Chungnam Office of Education who had gone on an educational volunteer trip to Nepal were missing due to an avalanche, officials from the Office of Education and the respective schools could not hide their grief.

On that day, the emergency response team set up on the second floor of the provincial Office of Education was busy assessing the local accident situation and preparing countermeasures. Ten people, including family members of the missing teachers, Office of Education officials, and travel agency staff, are scheduled to depart for Nepal at 1:30 PM by plane.

Eleven teachers from the Chungnam Office of Education left on the 13th to conduct educational volunteer activities in Nepal until the 25th. Overseas educational volunteer work by teachers from the Chungnam Office of Education began in 2012. When the Office of Education recruits volunteers, teachers apply by directly preparing educational plans. This year, 11 teachers from 10 schools participated.

Upon arrival, the teachers promoted Korean culture and carried out facility repair volunteer work at local elementary and middle schools and study rooms. During this process, on the afternoon of the 17th, nine teachers took advantage of their free time to go trekking in Annapurna. The remaining two stayed at the accommodation due to poor health.

The missing teachers are reported to have encountered an avalanche while passing through the Deurali area (altitude 3,230m) on the Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) trekking course along with other travelers. Four teachers at the front, along with local guides, were swept away by the falling snow, while the five teachers following behind avoided the accident. There are also reports that one person was injured during the evacuation process.

The Office of Education announced that the four teachers whose whereabouts are still unknown are teachers Lee Mo (56, male), Choi Mo (37, female), Kim Mo (52, female), and Jung Mo (59, male).

However, due to poor local communication conditions, it is known that the exact situation has not been confirmed.

Foreign media reports also state that there is no road connected to the accident site and that poor weather throughout the day makes aerial operations impossible.