The missing helicopter in Nepal still could not be found till late Sunday evening.

The helicopter carrying renowned personalities including the state Minister of Nepal, Gopal Rai, high-level government officials, diplomats and specialists went missing in eastern Taplejung district on Saturday morning.

Both air and ground search operations were conducted over Saturday and continued on Sunday, but there was still no information about whereabouts of the helicopter until late Sunday evening.

According to Local media reports, the Nepali Army has left a seven-member search team with advanced equipment at Tebla area of Taplejung district, some 600 km east of Kathmandu.

The team will spend another day to reach Ghumsa where the helicopter feared crashed.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has said that it had sent 26-member search team near Ghumsa area with advanced equipment, which is expected to reach the incident site at earliest.

Ambar Bahadur Shakya, director at the flight operation Department of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN ) told Xinhua that there is greater possibility of an accident as local people said that they heard the sound of big explosion three times around Ghumsa area from where helicopter went missing after five minutes it took off.

The prominent figures including Damodar Parajuli, secretary at the Forest Ministry, Pauli Mustonen, Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy of Finland, and Margaret Alexander of the United States Agency for International Development.

The CAAN has announced a cash prize of 2,700 U.S. dollars for those providing first information about the whereabouts of the helicopter.

Editor: Yan