New Delhi: The wreckage of the Indian Air Force aircraft, which went missing eight days ago with 13 people on board, was found Tuesday in Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh, official sources said here.
The Russian-origin AN-32 aircraft lost contact on the afternoon of June 3 after taking off from Jorhat in Assam for Menchuka advanced landing ground near the border with China.
The wreckage was found in the locality called Payum Circle within the district. It was spotted by a Mi-17 helicopter of the IAF which was flying at a height of around 12,000 feet.
“Efforts are now continuing to establish the status of occupants and establish survivors,” the Air Force tweeted. However, it should be stated that here that the survival chances of the 13 people travelling in the aircraft are very remote indeed.
Teams from the Army, Navy and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) troops, supported by night-time sensors had been working day and night to locate the wreckage. What made their job extremely difficult were the rough terrain and poor weather.
Details to follow