IAF teams successfully air-dropped near AN-32 crash site, to look for more wreckage, possible survivorsJune 12 (AZINS) Continuing with its efforts to find the wreckage and possible survivors if any in the AN-32 missing transport aircraft, Indian Air Force (IAF) Wednesday successfully air-dropped 8-10 personnel near the AN-32 crash site in two helicopter sorties.
The air-dropped teams will further start moving towards the location and searching for more wreckage and possible survivors.
Dense forest, high elevation and extreme weather conditions have made it very challenging for all the forces and other agencies deployed to carry out the search operation to locate any possible wreckage of AN-32 which had disappeared.
A team of personnel from Indian Air Force, Army and some civil mountaineers which has been airlifted today close to a location to the crash site of an AN-32 aircraft in Arunachal will look for possible survivors.
The wreckage of the AN-32 aircraft was spotted Tuesday in a heavily forested mountainous terrain by an IAF Mi-17 helicopter, almost eight days after it went missing with 13 people on board.
The Russian-origin AN-32 aircraft was going from Jorhat in Assam to Menchuka advanced landing ground near the border with China on June 3 when it lost contact with ground staff at 1 pm, within 33 minutes of taking off.
Earlier, IAF said that efforts were underway to establish the status of occupants and establish survivors.
Family members of IAF pilot Ashish Tanwar have raised questions over why the outdated aircraft was sent to fly over treacherous terrain.
"The aircraft was not upgraded and this shows the carelessness on the part of the government. If something happens to Ashish, we will be devastated," said Ashish's paternal uncle, Udayvir Singh at their family home in Palwal.
(With inputs from agencies)