Jorhat, June 03: Hours after transport aircraft of Indian Air Force (IAF) went missing over hilly terrain in the Northeast, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Vice Air chief Air Marshal Rakesh Singh Bhaduria and took stock of the situation. Singh also prayed for the safety of all the 13 passengers on board. IAF AN-32 Aircraft Carrying 13 Persons On Board Reported Missing in Arunachal Pradesh After Taking Off From Jorhat Airbase.

Rajnath Singh tweeted, “Spoke to Vice Chief of @IAF_MCC, Air Marshal Rakesh Singh Bhadauria regarding the missing IAF AN-32 Aircraft which is overdue for some hours. He has apprised me of the steps taken by the IAF to find the missing aircraft. I pray for the safety of all passengers on board.” IAF Aircraft Crashes: 40 Deaths From 30 Mishaps Reported in Four Years From 2015 Till Date.

Rajnath Singh's Tweet:

Earlier in the day, the transport aircraft of the IAF’s Antonov An-32 took off at 12:25 pm from the Jorhat airbase in Assam. The crew last contacted the ground staff at 1 pm. The aircraft was reported missing in Menchuka airfield of Arunachal Pradesh. The 13 people on board include eight crew members and five passengers. The IAF has launched search operations to find the missing aircraft. The force pressed Sukhoi-30 combat aircraft and C-130 into the search operation.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 03, 2019 05:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).