GUWAHATI: Five
hunters of
Arunachal Pradesh’s Siang district, who have knowledge of and the ability to match the inhospitable and treacherous terrain, have been sent out on foot to look for the
AN-32 plane that went missing with 13 on board on Monday.
The search by the hunters is in addition to the deployment of aircraft, UAVs and satellites. The search is being conducted over an area of 2,500 sq km under Kaying and Payum circles.
“Search efforts have been intensified.
Four Mi-17s, three advanced light helicopters (2 from the Army and 1 from the IAF), two Su-30 MKI, one C-130 and one Army UAV have been engaged in the search operation. Additionally, two Cheetah helicopters are reaching this evening to add to the SAR efforts,” said a defence source.
The chief minister’s office stated that district authorities of Siang and West Siang have formed three separate teams to carry out search operations in the three mountain ranges on the aircraft’s route from Assam’s Jorhat base to the Mechuka advanced landing ground in Shi Yomi district of Arunachal bordering China. The teams set up by the two district authorities are trekking to the Bayor Adi Mountain range near Tumbin village, Pari Adi mountain range near Molo village and Sibir-Virgong mountain range between Molo and Tumbin.
The search operation has been hit by the non-functioning emergency locator beacon in the missing plane, bad weather and a difficult uninhabited terrain.
The hunters from Payum circle in Shi Yomi district and the authorities concerned are hopeful of getting news from the ground either on Thursday night or Friday morning. There is no mobile connectivity in the area and the team of hunters have to return to Payum to give updates.
CM Pema Khandu called up officials in deputy commissioners of Siang, West Siang, Lower Siang and Shi-Yomi districts and directed them to intensify the search operation. Khandu also appealed to villagers of the areas falling on the route of the aircraft to provide information, if any, to the nearest administrative headquarter or police outpost.