The Korean government’s rapid-response team searching for nine missing nationals after Nepal’s floods could not launch its planned helicopter operation after Nepalese military authorities withheld flight authorization. The team instead carried out preparatory work from villages leading toward the site and plans to try reaching the area by land after daylight on August 31.

Nepal has restricted civilian helicopter operations because of continuing flood risk. Korean officials are also seeking cooperation from Nepalese military and police units. The nine Koreans remained missing in the latest collected reports.