Bad weather hits search for AN-32

Bad weather and low clouds affected the search by IAF for the AN-32 in Arunachal Pradesh on the seventh day since the transport aircraft went missing.

IAF spokesperson posted at eastern command headquarters at Shillong said on Sunday evening that a C-130J aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles were airborne for the search operation but had to land back due to bad weather and low clouds.

"Search by the ground teams is, however, underway," he said.T

The aircraft took off at 12.27 pm on June 3 from Jorhat air force station in eastern Assam, with 13 persons on board for Mechuka, close to China border in Arunachal Pradesh. Eight crewmen and five other IAF personnel had boarded the aircraft at Jorhat.

It lost control with the ground agencies around 1 pm over Along, the headquarters of West Siang district.

IAF had already deployed services of four Mi-17, three ALH, two Su-30 MKI, one C-130, two Cheetah helicopters, one Army UAV and Pi8, a maritime reconnaissance aircraft of Indian Navy to carry out the search but yielded no result.

Teams of local residents were also sent to remote locations in the jungles to search the possible wreckage of the aircraft but they too have turned up empty.

IAF announced a bounty of Rs. 5 lakh for any information regarding the whereabouts of the missing plane. West Siang district administration also announced cash reward of Rs. 50,000 for the same.

The AN-32 is used to carry materials for both defence persons as well as civilians living in remote areas like Mechuka, situated atop 6,000 feet. The aircraft was headed for IAF's advance landing ground at Mechuka, which is about 30-km away from China border.