ITANAGAR, June 13 - Arunachal Pradesh Governor Brig (Dr) BD Mishra (retd) and Chief Minister Pema Khandu have mourned the death of the air warriors and crew members of the ill-fated IAF AN-32 aircraft, which crashed on the mountains of Siang and Shi-Yomi districts of the State on June 3.
A team of rescuers that was airdropped near the crash site confirmed today that there were no survivors.
The wreckage of the aircraft was spotted by an IAF Mi-17 helicopter on Tuesday, eight days following an exhaustive search and rescue operation. The ill-fated transport aircraft with eight crew members and five air warriors on board went missing on June 3 last, moments after it took off from the Jorhat air base in Assam for the Mechuka Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) in Arunachal Pradesh.
In his condolence letter to the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa, the Arunachal Pradesh Governor expressed deep sorrow and grief over the sad finding about the IAF aircraft. He said that the ground report of the IAF recce and rescue team, which had since reached the crash site, that there are no survivors, is emotionally excruciating.
�In this hour of crisis, my thoughts go to all the 13 great air warriors of the Indian Air Force, who lost their lives in this unfortunate plane crash. It is a great national loss and we, as a nation, have suffered great setback to have lost these 13 capable combat patriots,� the Governor said, while adding that every citizen of the State stands in support of the families of the martyrs.
In his condolence message, Khandu said: �I am shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives of our brave air warriors who attained martyrdom in the line of their duties. While I express my solidarity to the Indian Air Force for loss of their men and officers, I call them true patriots as they laid their lives for the cause of our motherland.�
