Missing An-32: Search and rescue ops halted due to bad light, to resume Saturday morning

Residents of an Arunachal Pradesh village had stated Thursday that they had seen thick black smoke billowing from a mountain on Monday, the day the Indian Air Force aircraft carrying 13 people went missing, prompting authorities to verify the claim.

The search and rescue operations for the missing military transport aircraft Antonov-32 has been called off for today. There hasn’t been any sighting of the aircraft or its wreckage as of now and the rescue operations will resume Saturday morning as low light conditions restricted the helicopters’ ability to continue their operations, which are being carried out between the areas of Jorhat in Assam and Mechuka in Arunachal Pradesh. The operation has been affected repeatedly due to difficult terrain in the region and poor weather conditions.

Four days after the Indian Air Force aircraft lost contact with ground stations, the location of An-32 is yet to be traced as a massive search and rescue operation is being conducted daily. With an intensified search, the IAF has deployed additional assets in the mission, deploying local civic and police agencies for assistance. FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES

P-8I of Indian Navy undertook a search mission from Arakonnam Friday morning. The helicopters, transport aircraft, UAVs and other sensors are involved in extensive search and rescue as per the prevailing weather conditions. The search area continues to expand to look at all possibilities. All electronic, radar, optical and infrared sensors including satellites are being employed to scan the area for any probable clues.

Indian Army, Police, State Government, Paramilitary forces and local population are lending crucial support in search operations. Army search parties have been deployed in the area for over two days, going through the thick forest in their attempts to locate the aircraft. Senior Air Staff Officer of Eastern Air Command is coordinating and supervising search operations at Along in Arunachal Pradesh.

The transport aircraft took off from Jorhat at 12.27 pm on Monday for the Mechuka Advanced Landing Ground. Its last contact with the ground control was at 1 pm. A total of 13 personnel were on board the aircraft. Both the Navy and the Army have joined the IAF in search operations along with the ISRO.

Residents of an Arunachal Pradesh village had stated Thursday that they had seen thick black smoke billowing from a mountain on Monday, the day the Indian Air Force aircraft carrying 13 people went missing, prompting authorities to verify the claim.

Three people from Tumbin village said that on Monday afternoon they had seen thick black smoke originating from a mountain towards Molo village in Siang district. “This is being verified,” Director General of Police S B K Sing informed the CMO, reported news agency PTI.

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