IAF aircraft, carrying 13 people, goes missing after take-off
An AN-32 aircraft of the Indian Air Force went missing on Monday after taking off from Jorhat airbase in Assam. The aircraft, which has 13 people on board, was bound for Mechuka Advance Landing Ground. It took off at 12:25 PM and last contacted ground staff at 1 PM. After the aircraft couldn't be contacted, IAF launched a search operation. Here's what we know.
IAF has launched an operation to track the plane
The strip where the aircraft was supposed to land is around 30 kilometer away from Indo-China border. IAF has deployed all its available resources in finding the missing plane. As per reports, combat aircraft Sukhoi-30 and special operation aircraft C-130 were launched to trace the plane. Out of 13 people on board, eight are crew members while five are passengers.
Praying for safety of passengers: Rajnath Singh
Meanwhile, Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said he is aware of the incident. "Spoke to Vice Chief of IAF, Air Marshal Rakesh Singh Bhadauria regarding the missing IAF AN-32 Aircraft which is overdue for some hours," he said. Singh, who visited Siachen a short while ago, said he has been apprised of the steps taken and he is praying for the safety of passengers.
In 2016, another AN-32 aircraft went missing
The worrying turn of events bring back memories of a similar incident which happened in 2016. On July 22, 2016, an AN-32 aircraft, having 29 people on board, went missing after taking off from Tambaram. IAF, Indian Coast Guard (ICG), the Navy, and National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) had launched a massive search operation, which lasted for two months. But in vain.
AN-32s have a shady track record
As it turns out, AN-32s have a shady track record. In 2009, another AN-32 went missing after taking off from Mechuka, Arunachal Pradesh. It crashed later. Before that, an AN-32 aircraft, carrying 22 people on board, crashed in New Delhi in March 1999. AN-32s were introduced in IAF in 1984. Till 2018, IAF has lost 8 AN-32s to fatal accidents.
