The monument build at Vinthuna hill is a joint effort of Environment Conservation and Development Forum, the Taplejung District Development Committee and the Great Himalayan Trail Development Program. [break]
Two dozen prominent individuals, most of them conservationists, died when a helicopter crashed while they were heading toward Ghunsa after completing an informal program at Fhugling of Taplejung.
The dead included prominent figures like the then Ministry of Forest Gopal Rai, his wife Mina Rai, then Secretary at Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation, Dr. Damodar Prasad Poudel, senior geologist Dr Harka Gurung, representative of World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) Dr Chandra Gurung, WWF USA director Dr Mingma Norbu Sherpa, Ambassador of Nepal to Finland Pauli Mastotan, Chairperson of Kanchanjunga Conservation Area Management Council Dawa Chiring Sherpa, Nepal Television Correspondent Hem Raj Bhadari, WWF UK director Jill Bowling, WWF US Program manager Program Manager Matthew Prince.
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