An Indian Air Force aircraft carrying air force personnel has gone missing after take-off from Assam, in India since June 3rd.
The AN-32 aircraft took off from Jorhat airbase in Assam with six officers and seven other IAF personnel on board on Monday at 12:27 pm.
The aircraft lost contact with the ground 33 minutes later.
A massive search operation was initiated when the aircraft failed to reach its destination, Mechuka Advance Landing Ground (ALG).
The Indian Air Force launched C-130J, AN-32 and Mi-17 of IAF and Indian Army ALH helicopter to locate the missing aircraft.
The Air Force also checked out reports of a possible crash site but did not find any wreckage.
On Tuesday, efforts were scaled with IAF roping in spy planes and satellites like RISAT to locate the missing aircraft.
The IAF is working with the Indian Army, Indian Navy, government and civil agencies to carry out this search and rescue operation.
India’s defence minister Rajnath Singh said he was monitoring the rescue operations and praying for the safety of passengers on board.
The Indian Air Force said the families of all air-warriors onboard the aircraft had been informed and were being updated regularly on the progress of the search operations.
The An-32 is a Soviet-designed twin-engine turboprop transport aircraft used extensively by the Indian Air Force for over four decades.
