A helicopter flying in bad weather with six people on board, possibly including Nepal's tourism minister, went missing Wednesday in Nepal's mountainous region, officials said.

Tourism Minister Rabindra Adhikari was among the people who boarded the helicopter when it left Kathmandu. However, it was not clear if he got off the aircraft when it made a stop before it lost contact with the airport tower in Kathmandu, said Nepal Police spokesman Uttam Raj Subedi.

He said rescuers were searching for the chopper, but the weather was making the operation difficult in an area about 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of the Nepalese capital.