Doosan Enerbility and Namdong Power activated an emergency response after Korean staff lost contact at a hydropower construction site in Nepal [1].
The incident raises urgent safety concerns for foreign contractors operating in remote Himalayan regions, where rugged terrain and isolation can complicate rescue efforts.
The Upper Triyshuli-1 (UT-1) hydropower construction site is located approximately 70 km north of Kathmandu [1]. The project is designed to have a planned capacity of 216 MW [1].
Reports regarding the number of missing personnel vary. One report indicates that nine Korean staff members have lost contact [1], while a Namdong Power spokesperson said that three people at the site were unreachable [2].
In response to the situation, Doosan Enerbility established an emergency headquarters and dispatched a rapid-response team to the site [3]. Both companies have entered a 24-hour emergency response system to locate the missing employees [2].
Additional reports indicate that 10 employees were isolated and evacuated alongside 200 foreign workers [1]. These individuals were moved to a safe zone as part of the emergency measures.
"Doosan Enerbility immediately formed an emergency response headquarters and decided to dispatch a field response team following the accident," a Doosan Enerbility spokesperson said [3].
Namdong Power also confirmed the loss of contact, saying that three people at the UT-1 hydropower project site were unreachable [2].
“Doosan Enerbility and Namdong Power activated an emergency response after Korean staff lost contact.”
The discrepancy in reported missing personnel suggests a fluid situation in a high-risk environment. The scale of the evacuation—involving 200 foreign workers—indicates a significant site-wide event rather than an isolated disappearance, highlighting the vulnerability of critical infrastructure projects in Nepal's remote geography.
