GUWAHATI: The Siang district administration in Arunachal Pradesh has announced a cash award of Rs.50,000 for anyone who will provide clue or information on the missing AN-32 aircraft of Indian Air Force (IAF).
Earlier, the authorities in some districts of the state had engaged local hunters to search for the aircraft. However, it has not yet yielded any results.
Defence sources said the search operation was held up on Saturday morning due to bad weather, low clouds and rains. When the weather improved, some Mi-17, ALH and Cheetah helicopters were deployed to carry out the search.
The search on the ground was being carried out by Army, Indo Tibetan Border Police, Arunachal Police and other agencies.
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IAF spokesman Wing Commander Ratnakar Singh told this newspaper that the IAF had been in regular touch with the families of the missing air warriors. He said all possible assistance was being provided to the families. Some of the families are camping in Assam.
“The IAF is not sparing any effort in locating the missing air warriors. We stand in support of the families in these difficult times,” he said.
The aircraft, which was flying to Mechuka near the China border in Arunachal with 13 IAF personnel on board, was reported missing 33 minutes since it took off from IAF’s air base in Assam’s Jorhat on Monday.