AN-32 search: GSI vessel stumbles on possible debris

A Geological Survey of India (GSI) ship has located debris in deep-sea which is suspected to be of the IAF flight AN-32 that went missing a month ago.

GSI vessel Samudra Ratnakar, deployed for deep water exploration, has traced some debris at a depth of about 3,000 meters, 160 nautical miles off Chennai coast, defence authorities said here on Sunday.

“We suspect that the objects might be the parts of AN-32 aircraft, which might have crashed in the sea,” a senior Coast Guard official said seeking anonymity.

He also said search around the location of the debris has been intensified with more Navy ships scouring the area for further clues to the missing aircraft. The official said the objects will be recovered and sent for lab testing in a couple of days to ascertain if they belong to the missing AN-32.

If confirmed, the debris’ location would mark a major breakthrough in the search for the flight that went missing on July 22.  The Coast Guard official said several squads of searchers have been sifting through 4,500 square miles so far without a clue.

Coast Guard and Navy teams located nearly 30 floating objects, none of which were successfully traced to the missing AN-32.

The IAF AN-32 flight took off from Tambaram airbase to the Andaman islands with 29 personnel on board. It did not reach its destination and was last seen on the radar at 9 am on the same day.