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Nepal helicopter wreckage found | Nepal helicopter wreckage found |
(30 minutes later) | |
A search team has spotted the wreckage of a helicopter which went missing in eastern Nepal while carrying 24 people, including WWF conservationists. | A search team has spotted the wreckage of a helicopter which went missing in eastern Nepal while carrying 24 people, including WWF conservationists. |
The rescuers, who were in an army helicopter, said they could see several bodies scattered at the site. | |
They have landed at the site to search for any survivors though chances of this seem slim. | |
The helicopter lost radio contact during bad weather after it took off in a mountainous district on Saturday. | The helicopter lost radio contact during bad weather after it took off in a mountainous district on Saturday. |
The chopper was carrying seven WWF employees, including four Nepalis, an Australian, a Canadian and an American. | The chopper was carrying seven WWF employees, including four Nepalis, an Australian, a Canadian and an American. |
It was also carrying a Finnish diplomat, a US aid-worker and two Russian crew members as well as Nepalese officials and reporters. | It was also carrying a Finnish diplomat, a US aid-worker and two Russian crew members as well as Nepalese officials and reporters. |
'Loud bang' | |
Air traffic officials in the capital, Kathmandu said they had spotted the wreckage at a site two kilometres from where the helicopter took off before disappearing. | |
Reports say the area is about 400km (250 miles) east of Kathmandu. | |
The BBC's Charles Haviland in Kathmandu says the army team has succeeded in landing at the site with medical supplies after several attempts. | |
Rain and low visibility had hampered efforts to find the helicopter, missing since noon local time (0615 GMT) on Saturday. | |
The helicopter party was returning from a landmark ceremony to hand over the Kangenjunga conservation area from the government to the local community. | |
The helicopter, identified as a Russian-made Mi-17, had been on a 20-minute flight to a local airport, where the passengers had been due to take a flight to the capital, Kathmandu. | |
Reports have quoted local people as saying they heard a loud bang shortly after the helicopter, chartered by WWF, took off on Saturday. |