US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said that she is greatly saddened by the deaths of two colleagues at the Nepal Mission of the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

A press statement issued by Rice said, “Today we are greatly saddened to have learned of the deaths of two colleagues at the Nepal Mission of the US Agency for International Development (USAID).”

Ms. Margaret Alexander and Dr. Bijnan Acharya of USAID were among the 24 people killed when the ill-fated Sri Airlines 91-AHJ-MI-172 helicopter crashed at Gyabla, some 2km south of Ghunsa on Saturday.

“They will be missed by their State Department and USAID colleagues and friends,” the statement further said.

“They both were instrumental in ensuring the sustainable use of Nepal’s rich natural resources while promoting democratic principles and transparency,” she added.

They were returning after a function organised to hand over the Kanchanjunga Conservation Area to the local community in Taplejung. The handing over the conversation area is considered a major step in the conservation of bio-diversity with the involvement of the local people.

Meanwhile, the UN System in Nepal expressed deep sorrow at the deaths of the passengers of the helicopter, which included among others, Minister of State for Forest and Soil Conservation, senior Nepali government officials and conservationists, Finnish Charge d’ Affaires, USAID and WWF officials, NTV journalists, FNCCI representative and offered its sincere condolences to the bereaved families.

“We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic death of our friends and colleagues who in their mission to help the development of Nepal put their lives at risk,” a press statement issued by the UN information centre in Kathmandu quoted UN Resident Coordinator, Matthew Kahane as saying.

“It is a terrible loss for the country and the international community,” he added.