by rain » Sat Sep 23, 2006 11:00 pm
just 'cos some things make you go 'hmmmm....'<br><br>Saturday, September 23, 2006<br><br>A Canadian woman is among those missing following a feared helicopter crash in a mountainous region of Nepal Saturday. <br>A Shree Air helicopter, carry 24 people — including Nepalese government officials and members of the World Wildlife Fund — was heading to an environmental handover event in rural Nepal Saturday but did not arrive, prompting a massive search and rescue effort.<br><br>According to the WWF Nepal website, among the missing passengers is Jennifer Headley, the WWF’s U.K. co-ordinator for Eastern Nepal.<br><br>"A Shree Air helicopter carrying delegates who had gone to attend the Kangchenjunga Conservation Area handover at Taplejung are missing," said a bulletin on the WWF Nepal website Saturday. "The flight left Ghunsa (Saturday) afternoon at (noon) but did not arrive as per schedule (a 20 minute flight) back to Taplejung."<br><br>"WWF Nepal thanks everyone for their concern ... we are still hopeful and pray for the safety of all on-board the Shree Air flight."<br><br>According to media reports, Headley is originally from Mississauga, Ont.<br><br>KanchenJunga is located on Nepal’s northeastern border with China, about 350 kilometres east of the capital of Kathmandu.<br><br>The WWF website says rescue efforts began shortly after the helicopter was reported missing.<br><br>Two ground search teams began searching the mountainous passes in the region, but the website said temperatures were quite cold and the rescuers were hampered by rainy conditions during their search.<br><br>Later Saturday, at least two helicopters swept the area.<br><br>An Air Dynasty helicopter overflew the area, but reported low visibility. In addition, a Nepal Army helicopter was forced to return its base in Kathmandu due to bad weather in the Kangchenjunga region.<br><br>As of late Saturday night, at least 120 ground searchers — including members of the Nepalese police, army and local residents — were heading into the area to continue the hunt for the missing helicopter. At least four rescue helicopters are expected to comb the area Sunday, if weather permits.<br><br>Headley’s exact age isn’t known, but a photo provided on the WWF website seems to indicate she is in her 30s to early 40s.<br><br>On the WWF website, Headley offers thanks to all those who have helped the WWF cause in Nepal.<br><br>"Without people like you, who have the desire to make a difference, we wouldn't be able to carry out much of our vital conservation work," she says. "Thank you."<br><br>Among the missing are Nepal’s minister of forests and soil conservation, as well as his wife; Nepal’s director general of forests; Nepal’s director general of parks and wildlife; and several foreign citizens, including a Finnish embassy official, an American aid official, an American WWF official and an official with the WWF with dual Swiss/Australian citizenship. Two Russians were among the helicopter’s four crew members.<br><br>Nepal, a nation of approximately 25 million people, is one of the world’s poorest countries and lies along the Himilayan mountains.<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=f872c785-af69-4bf7-9d0f-fbb30173e201&k=67152">www.canada.com/topics/new...01&k=67152</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br><br> <p></p><i></i>
