In yet another aerial tragedy, the Antonov AN-32 aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) went missing 6 days ago after the plane lost contact with ground stations in Andhra Pradesh. Unfortunately, despite the massive search and rescue operation that is being conducted daily between Jorhat in Assam and Mechuka in Arunachal, the troops have failed to locate the plane as of now.
The search couldn’t take place properly in the last few days due to the poor weather conditions in the mountainous area. However, in a bid to get a lead to the lost aircraft, the IAF has announced a cash award of Rs 5 Lakhs for the person(s) or group who provide credible information about the same.
The announcement for the cash reward was confirmed on Saturday by Defence PRO, Wing Commander Ratnakar Singh, who mentioned that Air Marshal RD Mathur, AOC-in-charge, Eastern Air Command has taken the decision. According to India Today, he said,
“Air Marshal RD Mathur, AOC-in-C, Eastern Air Command, has announced a cash award of Rs 5 lakhs for the person(s) or group who provide credible information leading to finding of the missing AN-32 transport aircraft.”
Air Marshal RD Mathur also put forward a few numbers where people can reach out to provide useful information about the aircraft. The numbers are 0378-3222164, 9436499477, 9402077267 and 9402132477.
The Russian-origin AN-32 aircraft had 13 people onboard including eight crew members and five passengers when it went missing. While we sincerely hope for it to be tracked soon, our prayers go out to the people in it.