Sun, Sep 24, 2006
Fate Of 24 Occupants Unknown
A helicopter with 24 people aboard is missing in a remote region
of Nepal. Operated by Sri Airlines, the chopper, returning to
Suketar from Ghunsa, disappeared Saturday morning.
According to eKantipur.com, a Nepali news media outlet, local
Sherpas from the Ghunsa area told authorities they heard a loud
noise soon after the helicopter departed at 11:30 local.
The private delegation aboard the aircraft -- which
eKantipur.com says is a Russian-built Mi-172 (file photo
below) -- had attended a ceremony for the hand over of the
Kanchenjunga Conservation Area in the Taplejung district to local
residents. The flight was sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund
(WWF), a global environmental group.
In a statement, WWF said delegates from America, Finland, Canada
and Australia joined Nepal's junior forest minister Gopal Rai, his
wife and three senior government officials aboard the aircraft to
attend the ceremony.
The four-man crew included two Russians.
Airborne search and rescue efforts are underway, but so far
teams have found nothing. Two helicopters searched most of the day
Saturday, but bad weather and nightfall forced officials to suspend
further efforts until Sunday morning.
The search area around Ghunsa is very remote and mountainous
hampering ground search efforts. Nepal has a poor road and highway
network; ground search efforts are likely to be fruitless.
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