By Sudeshna Sarkar,

Kathmandu, Sep 23 (IANS) A private helicopter with 27 people, including a minister and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) officials on board, has been missing in northern Nepal since Saturday morning.

Inclement weather in Nepal's mountainous region has hindered search operations.

A rescue monitoring desk set up at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport said the chopper, belonging to a private domestic operator Shree Airlines, was carrying 24 passengers and three crewmembers when it went missing from the Gunasha area in Taplejung district.

The passengers included Nepal's Minister of State for Forest and Soil Conservation Gopal Rai and his wife Chandra Gurung, WWF country representative in Nepal Jill Bowling and senior officials and journalists.

Rai and the WWF officials had attended a conservation programme in the area.

The chopper had carried the passengers from Kathmandu Friday and was returning to the capital Saturday when it lost contact with the control tower at the airport. The state media quoted Taplejung residents as saying they had heard a loud explosion.

After the chopper failed to make contact for over eight hours, an army helicopter was sent to search the area.

However, bad weather and poor visibility thwarted the operation and the aircraft had to be diverted back to Kathmandu.

Earlier, a helicopter belonging to another private airline, Dynasty, which was in the area, was pressed into search operation but failed to locate the chopper.

"We ask everyone to pray that the crew and the passengers are brought back to safety," the stunned owner of Shree Airlines, Banwarilal Mittal, said.

The news of the missing helicopter comes as Nepal began celebrating Dashain, its biggest festival.