Thirteen Indian Air Force Personnel Martyred In AN-32 Crash At  Arunachal’s West Siang district

Thirteen Indian Air Force personnel lost their lives after an Antonov AN-32 carrying them crashed in Arunachal Pradesh’s West Siang district on Monday (3 June), Livefist Defence reported.

Of the 13 personnel on board, one was a Wing Commander, four were Flight Lieutenants, one was Squadron Leader and the rest seven were airmen.

The flight took off from Assam’s Jorhat air base at about 12.25 PM and was scheduled to land at the Mechuka Advanced Landing Ground in Arunachal Pradesh, near China border. The flying distance between the two airstrips was 205 km, as the crow flies.

The AN-32 though lost contact at around 1 PM following which a massive search operation was launched, which included the deployment of Eastern Command’s Sukhoi Su-30 MKI and C130J Super Hercules planes.

During the search operation, the plane wreckage was spotted from a helicopter, believed to be located at around 40 KM from its scheduled landing site.