New Delhi: Indian authorities Tuesday spotted the wreckage of a planemissing with 13 air force personnel aboard after days of searching a remotemountainous region close to China.
The Soviet-built AN-32 plane, carrying eight crew and five passengers,disappeared from radar on June 3 in the northeastern state of ArunachalPradesh, prompting a frantic search by the Indian Air Force (IAF) andground teams.
“The wreckage of the missing #An32 was spotted today… at an approximateelevation of 12,000 ft by the #IAF Mi-17 Helicopter undertaking search inthe expanded search zone,” the IAF said on Twitter.
“Efforts are now continuing to establish the status of occupants &establish survivors.”
Desperate authorities last week announced a cash reward of 550,000 rupees($8,000) for any information about the plane.
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They also urged village chiefs to organise search parties to scour theMechuka jungle in the mountainous region.
The twin-engine plane lost contact with ground control 35 minutes aftertaking off.
In 2016, another AN-32 — flying from Chennai to the Andaman and NicobarIslands — went missing above the Bay of Bengal. It had 29 people aboardand was never found. -APP/AFP
