The rescue team, which went to retrieve the mortal remains of the 13 air-warriors at the AN-32 aircraft crash site, is now fighting for survival in a hill at West Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh.
As per reports, the 12-member rescue team comprises nine Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel, one Everest climber and two local hunters.
They are now stranded at the Pari Adi Hill in a height of 12000 ft.
Also read: IAF “officially confirms” death of 13 air warriors in AN-32 crash
Due to incessant rainfall, the team had to remain stranded in the hill and could not climb down as the surface had become quite slippery.
Helicopters also could not airlift them from the hill and could not find any way of bringing them back from their stranded location.
With the team members being trapped in the hill owing to the rainy season, their stocks have also depleted and are on the verge of being finished.
Moreover, they have also failed to communicate with others due to absence of network signals.
The team can sometimes contact with the one mobile phone that is working only when they luckily get network signals.
In order to rescue the team members from the stranded location, it has been decided that as soon as the weather clears they would be airlifted in the helicopters that are on standby at the Aalo Advanced Landing Ground (ALG).
Reports quoted West Siang district public relations officer as saying that if the bad weather continues the team had to somehow climb down the mountains and reach the nearest village with the help of local hunters, who are expert climbers and have a good knowledge of the hilly range.
The AN-32 aircraft crashed on June 3, 2019.
The wreckage of the missing aircraft was located by a Mi-17 helicopter on June 11, following which a massive operation to search for the bodies or possible survivors was launched.
The debris was found in the mountain at a height of around 12,000 ft.
It was apparent that the AN-32 had crashed into a mountain amid bad weather and poor visibility because of clouds.