CHENNAI: The 35-day-long search operation, code named Talaash, most exhaustive in Indian history, conducted along Tamil Nadu coast involving 12 scientific, defence and private agencies culminated on Monday night with the finding of the mortal remains of the three missing crew members of the Dornier aircraft which crashed into the sea on June 8.
Addressing a press conference here, Inspector General SP Sharma, Commander, Indian Coast Guard (East), said the search operation by Reliance vessel MSV Canyon has been terminated on Monday night once the remains of the three crew members were found.
“The remains included a toe bone, a fast track watch, dungaree worn by the crew and life jackets. Several parts of the aircraft were also sighted at around 6 pm. We terminated the search operations immediately after that,” said Sharma, showing photographs of the parts of the aircraft and the watch recovered.
“The cameras installed in the rovers are so sharp that they could even detect the manufacturer of the watch,” he said while displaying the watch of a crew member which had the manufacturer Fast Track’s name inscribed on it.
MSV Canyon arrived at Chennai Port at around 3 am with the remains of the crew as well as the parts of Dornier aircraft. “The remains were all taken to the Coast Guard Air Force Station at Meenambakkam,” he said adding “There were other personal belongings including a camera which was carried in the bag and a handycam.”
According to him, the identity of the crew members would be ascertained only through a DNA test which will be conducted by Tamil Nadu Forensics Lab in Chennai. “This test would be carried out on the parents and children of the crew members to confirm their identity,” Sharma said. Coast Guard found only the remains; the skulls could not be found, he added.
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