An Indian air force plane carrying 29 people is missing more than 24 hours after it was expected to land on an island in the Bay of Bengal.
The AN-32 aircraft took off from the southern city of Chennai around 8 a.m. Friday and was expected to land in Port Blair three hours later. According to authorities, the last communications with the pilot was around 15 minutes after it took off. It carries 29 passengers, including 8 civilians.
The Russian-made AN-32s are relatively old. According to the Times of India, that particular plane had suffered technical problems just this month before it was repaired and cleared to fly Friday.
The AN-32 has the capacity to fly four hours without refueling.
The weather at the time of disappearance is still unknown. However, it is currently monsoon season in the region, which brings heavy winds and storms to South and Southeast Asia.
At least 12 ships and other vessels have been deployed to the Bay of Bengal in search for the missing aircraft.
Source: Voice of America
Share It To Your Friends!
Loading...