More than a week after IAF’s AN-32 transport aircraft went missing around remote Mechuka in Arunachal Pradesh, the Indian Air Force on Monday informed that the aerial search and rescue operations (SAR) were carried out by helicopters and C-130s during the day on Monday but there have been no sightings as yet. It added that an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and C-130J aircraft will be deployed at night to locate the missing aircraft.
Last Monday, the AN-32 aircraft took off from Jorhat at 12.27 pm for the Menchuka advance landing ground and its last contact with the ground control was at 1 pm. A total of eight aircrew and five passengers were on board the aircraft. IAF and Navy, aided by the Army, local police, state government, paramilitary forces and the local population, have been looking for the transport aircraft ever since it went missing with 13 people on board Monday.
Multiple search and rescue operations throughout last week yielded no results as they were halted due to unfavourable weather and low light conditions. Last Saturday, IAF had announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh to anyone providing information about the location of the AN-32 transport aircraft.
The assets deployed for the operation include Sukhoi-30 aircraft in addition to a fleet of C-130J and AN-32 planes and Mi-17 and ALH helicopters. The ground forces include troops from the Army, Indo Tibetan Border Police and state police.
