Itanagar/New Delhi: A rescue team has recovered the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) of Russian-origin AN-32 aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) at the crash site in Arunachal Pradesh, a spokesperson said Friday.
Shillong-based IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Ratnakar Singh said despite inclement weather and treacherous terrain, the rescue team of the IAF, Army and locals are trying their best to retrieve the bodies of the air-warriors. The IAF had confirmed Thursday that all 13 people on board the aircraft have died.
“The process of recovering all the bodies on board the AN-32 is still underway. Inclement weather conditions with continuous downpour besides hostile terrain, continues to hamper efforts for retrieving the bodies,” informed Singh.
The IAF in a statement Friday said efforts were on to bring back the mortal remains of the air-warriors who perished in the accident. “IAF mountaineers, Army Special Forces personnel and local mountaineers were dropped off at the closest possible location to the crash site and have reached the site,” the statement said.
“The weather continues to be marginal and is likely to affect the pace of recovery operations. The recovery team is braving the treacherous terrain and inclement weather in order to bring back the mortal remains as soon as possible,” the statement added.
The IAF also said that the next of kin of all personnel on board the ill-fated aircraft had been informed of the crash and the subsequent search operations undertaken by the IAF.
The wreckage of the plane was spotted by an IAF chopper, Tuesday at a height of 12,000 feet near Gatte village on the border of Siang and Shi-Yomi districts after eight days of a massive search operation involving a fleet of aircraft and choppers as well as ground forces.
PTI