An AN-32 transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force with 13 people on board went missing after taking off from Jorhat at 12.27 p.m. Monday.
Defence PRO, Col C Konwer informed that the aircraft, carrying eight crew members and five passengers, was headed for Mechuka Advance Landing Ground in Arunachal Pradesh after which it lost contact.
PRO said the Air Force has deployed C-130, AN-32 aircraft, two Mi-17 and Indian Army ALH helicopters have been launched to locate the missing aircraft.
Defence minister, Rajnath Singh tweeted: “Spoke to Vice Chief of @IAF_MCC, Air Marshal Rakesh Singh Bhadauria regarding the missing IAF AN-32 Aircraft which is overdue for some hours. He has apprised me of the steps taken by the IAF to find the missing aircraft. I pray for the safety of all passengers on board.”
“Efforts are on to establish the whereabouts of the aircraft. C-130J, AN-32 and Mi-17 of IAF and Indian Army ALH helicopter launched to locate the missing aircraft,” Wg. Cdr Ratnakar Singh, IAF spokesperson of Eastern Air Command informed Nagaland Post.
“Some reports of possible location of crash site were received, however, no wreckage has been sighted so far,” he said.
IAF is coordinating with Indian Army, various government and civil agencies to locate the missing aircraft.
Search operations will continue from air and by ground parties of Indian Army throughout the night.
It may be recalled that the biggest AN-32 crash in recent times took place in 2016 when an aircraft carrying 29 people went down in the Bay of Bengal.