Saturday, 17 September 2016
AN-32 missing | All 29 persons on board have been 'presumed' dead: Sources
The AN-32 carrying 29 people was on its way to Port Blair when it disappeared from radar on July 22.
All 29 persons on board the missing IAF plane AN 32 have been 'presumed' dead, sources told dna. The families will be informed of the same. However, sources said that the search operations have not been called off yet. "Search for missing AN32 is still in progress. Efforts by Indian Navy, Coast guard and IAF plus general alert for mariners in the area to lookout for any debris have not been called off yet," said an official source.
Here is the letter, dated August 24, 2016, sent to the families of the victims:
The AN-32 carrying, 29 people, including 21 military personnel, six crew members and two civilians, was on its way to Port Blair when it disappeared from radar on July 22. In one of its largest search and rescue operations in recent years, India deployed ships, planes and a submarine to trace the missing aircraft. The initial search ops were also hampered by rough weather over the Bay of Bengal.
The Air Force has 101 of the AN-32s that entered service in 1984 and have gone through mid-life upgrades and life extensions since then.
