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| Edited By: DNA Web Team |Source: DNA webdesk |Updated: Jul 22, 2016, 08:09 PM IST
An Indian Air Force AN-32 plane with 29 on board, including six crew member went missing while flying from Chennai to Port Blair on Friday.
The AN-32 aircraft took off at 8.30 am from Tambaram in Chennai. It was expected to arrive at Port Blair at 11.30 AM, said sources.
"The plane, which was on a routine courier service, took off at about 0830 hours from Tambaram and it was scheduled to land at Port Blair at 1130 hours but it is overdue," IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Anupam Banerjee said.
The Indian Coast Guard, Navy and the IAF have launched a massive joint search operation to locate the missing plane.
Four ships Karmukh, Gharial, Jyoti and Kuthar have been diverted to join in search and rescue operation at full speed. The aircraft was reportedly on a routine weekly flight for Air Force personnel, sources added.
An-32 is a twin-engined military transport aircraft of Russian make and used heavily by IAF.
This incident took place 270 kms away from Chennai; families of all who were on board have been informed: Dr S Bhamre on missing IAF plane.
All efforts are being made to trace the missing AN 32 transport plane of IAF and the service personnel onboard, said Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.
Tamil Nadu Coastal security Group has deployed 12 fast moving interceptors from Chennai to Rameshwaram region for search ops. Local Fishermen communities also have been informed to inform about any suspicious floating objects.
#UPDATE Indian Navy launches 1 submarine for underwater detection of any transmission or signal of missing IAF aircraft AN-32.
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 22, 2016
According to media reports, Defence Personnel is among the missing. One Coast Guard, 11 Navy officers, 3 IAF pilots also among the missing passengers.
Images just in of Indian Navy ships departing Port Blair to hunt for missing Indian Air Force An-32. pic.twitter.com/q2EGI6FOOH
— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) July 22, 2016
Four ships deployed in Bay of Bengal diverted for SAR Kuthar Karmukh Gharial & Jyoti + 2 each P8I & DO
WATCH: Captain DK Sharma, Navy PRO on IAF AN-32 plane flying from Tambaram (Chennai) to Port Blair gone missinghttps://t.co/tAAEpu8edW
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 22, 2016
We termed it as overdue; launched full force& will get results soon: Capt DK Sharma
AN-32 aircraft was flying from Chennai to Port Blair.
4 coast guard ships and 2 Dornier aircraft deployed for search operations 200 knot mile from east of Chennai.
# Full scale search & rescue operation launched in in Bay of Bengal for IAF aircraft AN-32.
# 4 Indian Navy ships diverted to join in Search & Rescue operations.
