NEW DELHI: An Army expedition has now recovered four more bodies from the ill-fated Antonov-12 military transport aircraft that crashed near the Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh in 1968, marking a significant development in one of India’s longest running search and recovery operations.
The four-engine turboprop AN-12 aircraft of the IAF, which had taken off from Chandigarh with 102 passengers on Feb 7, 1968, had crashed after encountering severe weather conditions. For decades, the aircraft wreckage and remains of the victims remained lost in the icy terrain.
It was only in 2003 that mountaineers from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering discovered the wreckage, which in turn led to multiple expeditions by the Army, especially the Dogra Scouts , who were at the forefront of the search missions in 2005, 2006, 2013, and 2019. Only five bodies were recovered by 2019 due to the treacherous conditions and unforgiving terrain around the crash site.
Now another mission led by the Dogra Scouts, in collaboration with representatives of the Tiranga Mountain Rescue, as part of the larger Chandra Bhaga expedition has recovered three intact bodies and the remains of a fourth from the snowbound mountains, an Army officer said on Monday.
With the help of documents found on their bodies, three of the military personnel have been identified as Sepoys Narayan Singh (Army Medical Corps), Malkhan Singh (Pioneer Corps) and Thomas Charan (Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers). “While documents recovered from the body of the fourth individual did not identify him, details of his next of kin were found. Further inquiries are in progress,” the officer said.
“The Chandra Bhaga expedition has once again demonstrated the Army's relentless determination to bring closure to families, even after half a century. The Dogra Scouts, renowned for their expertise in high-altitude operations, have led this mission with exemplary courage, battling through extreme weather conditions and hostile terrain to recover the remains of their fallen comrades,” he said.
“The recovery of these bodies bring solace to the families who have been waiting for decades, hoping for answers and the return of their loved ones. The search for the mortal remains of other passengers is continuing as the expedition is till Oct 10,” he added.
The four-engine turboprop AN-12 aircraft of the IAF, which had taken off from Chandigarh with 102 passengers on Feb 7, 1968, had crashed after encountering severe weather conditions. For decades, the aircraft wreckage and remains of the victims remained lost in the icy terrain.
It was only in 2003 that mountaineers from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering discovered the wreckage, which in turn led to multiple expeditions by the Army, especially the Dogra Scouts , who were at the forefront of the search missions in 2005, 2006, 2013, and 2019. Only five bodies were recovered by 2019 due to the treacherous conditions and unforgiving terrain around the crash site.
Now another mission led by the Dogra Scouts, in collaboration with representatives of the Tiranga Mountain Rescue, as part of the larger Chandra Bhaga expedition has recovered three intact bodies and the remains of a fourth from the snowbound mountains, an Army officer said on Monday.
With the help of documents found on their bodies, three of the military personnel have been identified as Sepoys Narayan Singh (Army Medical Corps), Malkhan Singh (Pioneer Corps) and Thomas Charan (Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers). “While documents recovered from the body of the fourth individual did not identify him, details of his next of kin were found. Further inquiries are in progress,” the officer said.
“The Chandra Bhaga expedition has once again demonstrated the Army's relentless determination to bring closure to families, even after half a century. The Dogra Scouts, renowned for their expertise in high-altitude operations, have led this mission with exemplary courage, battling through extreme weather conditions and hostile terrain to recover the remains of their fallen comrades,” he said.
“The recovery of these bodies bring solace to the families who have been waiting for decades, hoping for answers and the return of their loved ones. The search for the mortal remains of other passengers is continuing as the expedition is till Oct 10,” he added.
