AN-32 victims
Tribute paid to the 13 IAF personnel who died in an air crash. Image credit - Northeast Now

Six bodies and mortal remains of seven other Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel, who died in the AN-32 aircraft crash, have been airlifted to their parent base in Assam’s Jorhat.

On Wednesday, the bodies and the mortal remains were brought to Siang in Arunachal Pradesh from the site of the crash in the Pari mountain range to Aalo in West Siang district of Arunachal.

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An AN -32 aircraft with 13 members on board, had gone missing on June 3, about 30 minutes after taking off from Jorhat in Assam for Mechuka in Arunachal Pradesh.

Jorhat deputy commissioner Roshni A Korati informed that the funeral of Wing Commander MG Charles would be held at Jorhat on Friday.

Also read: AN-32 crash: Bodies, mortal remains sent to Assam’s Jorhat

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A source said post-mortem and DNA tests of the bodies and mortal remains were conducted at Dibrugarh before being brought to Jorhat.

An IAF spokesperson said the bodies and mortal remains of the 12 other IAF personnel killed in the crash would be taken to their respective homes and last rites conducted as per service customs.

AN-32 crash victims
Tribute paid to the 13 IAF personnel who died in an air crash. Image credit – Northeast Now
Tribute paid to the 13 IAF personnel who died in an air crash. Image credit – Northeast Now

He said that the team, which had been searching for the plane wreckage and remains of those on board the Russian-made aircraft, on Wednesday, retrieved the six bodies along with the mortal remains of seven others from the crash site near Siang district.

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.

Thirteen IAF personnel were on board the aircraft.

The debris was found in the mountain at a height of around 12,000 feet. It was apparent that the AN-32 had crashed into a mountain amid bad weather and poor visibility because of clouds.

 

Smita Bhattacharyya is Northeast Now Correspondent in Jorhat. She can be reached at: [email protected]