It is very sad to learn about missing helicopter and 24 people on board on the mission of WWF. Some of them are well known to me. Let's prey for their safe return home! Helicopter with 24 passengers including Minister Rai, WWF officials missing By DHARMA POUDEL (Kantipuronline.com) TAPLEJUNG, Sept 23 - A Shree Airlines helicopter bound for Suketar from Ghunsa, Taplejung, with 24 passengers on board, went missing since Saturday morning. Chief District Officer of Taplejung district, Hem Nath Dawadi said that the 9AN helicopter had gone out of contact this morning at around 9 while returning to Suketar from Ghunsa. According to Dawadi, State Minister for Forest, Gopal Rai, some media persons are among those who were onboard on the missing chopper. Minister Rai and media persons including officials from the World Wild Life Fund (WWF) had reached Taplejung to attend a function to mark the handing over of the Kanchanjunga Conservation Area to the local community. Others on board include: Pauli Mustonen, Charge d'affaires at the Embassy of Finland, Dr. Harka Gurung, Mohan Prasad Wagle of Forest Ministry, Dr. Bijanan Acharya of USAID, Dr Jill Bowling, conservation director of WWF-UK, Dr Tirtha Man Maskey, vice-president of Asian Rhino Conservation Department, Dr. Chandra Prasad Gurung of WWF-Nepal, Dr Damodar Prasad Parajuli, acting secretary at the Ministry of Forest, Sharad Rai, director general of Department of Forest, Narayan Poudel, director general of Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation, Margaret Alexander of USAID, Mingma Nurbu Sherpa of WWF-US, Jennifer Headley, WWF UK Coordinator, Eastern Himalayas, Hem Raj Bhandari and Sunil Singh of Nepal Television, AC Lama, senior programme officer of WWF Nepal, Matthew Preece, Bijay Kumar Shrestha of FNCCI, Dawa Tsering Sherpa of Kanchanjungha Conservation Area, and four crew members that include Captain Klim Kim, Saffron Vallery, Tandu Shrestha, pilot Migma Tsering Sherpa. Two helicopters of the Nepal Army have been dispatched to carry out the search operation, officials at the Rescue Coordination at TIA said. However, due to the "deteriorating" weather condition in the areas, rescue operation have been affected, the officials added. Local Sherpas from Ghunsa told the authorities at Taplejung that the helicopter had taken off at 11: 30 this morning and soon after which they heard a loud noise.