IAF announces ₹ 5 lakh award for info on missing AN-32
New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has announced a cash reward of Rs ₹ 5 lakh for information on the An-32 aircraft that went missing in Arunachal Pradesh after taking off from Assam’s Jorhat on June 3.
Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Eastern Air Command Air Marshal R D Mathur made the announcement on Saturday of the cash reward as the aircraft could not be located even after six days of a massive search operation. Resources from various agencies including ISRO were brought in to enhance the effectiveness of the search operations but no breakthrough has been made yet.
Air Marshal made the announcement along with a few numbers which people can use to contact the air force and provide any updates about the missing plane. The numbers are 0378-3222164, 9436499477, 9402077267 and 9402132477.
The Russian-origin AN-32 transport aircraft took off from Assam’s Jorhat at 12.27 pm last Monday for the Mechuka Advanced Landing Ground in Shi-Yomi district of Arunachal Pradesh.
However, it lost contact with ground control by 1 pm. Eight crew members and five passengers were onboard the aircraft.
Odisha-origin pilot Flight Lieutenant Sumit Mohanty was on also on-board. His family hails from Aska in Ganjam district of Odisha. Newly elected Aska MP Pramila Bisoyi has urged Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in expediting the search operation in a letter.
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