AN-32 aircraft: Kin of IAF officers urge govt to intensify search operation

Chandigarh: Families of the two IAF officers who were onboard the missing IAF transport aircraft AN-32 appealed to the government to intensify the search operation while praying for their safe return.

Flight Lieutenant Ashish Tanwar's (29) teary-eyed mother Saroj appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to deploy all resources to trace the aircraft and those missing.

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Meanwhile, sombre mood prevailed at Tanwar's native Deeghot village in Palwal, Haryana.

Tanwar, along with his wife Sandhya Tanwar, an air traffic control officer posted at the Johrat airbase from where the aircraft took off Monday afternoon, had cast his vote during the general election in Haryana on May 12.

Ashish Tanwar had joined the IAF in December 2013 after completing B.Tech.

He had married Sandhya in February 2018.

Meanwhile, the family of Flight Lieutenant Mohit Garg (27) is also a worried lot.

"The search operation must be intensified," a family member said.

After hearing the news that the aircraft had gone missing, Mohit's father Surinderpal Garg and uncle Rishipal Garg had left for Assam.

The flight lieutenant's brother Ashwani said the family was praying for his safe return.

Mohit had got married a year ago and his wife is posted at a bank in Assam.

A massive search operation was launched as the IAF aircraft lost contact with the ground staff after taking off from the Johrat airbase in Assam Monday afternoon.

Thirteen people, including eight aircrew members, were onboard the IAF aircraft that had taken off for the Menchuka advanced landing ground near the China border on 12.27 pm.

The AN-32 is a twin-engine turboprop Russian origin aircraft and the IAF currently operates a sizeable number of it.

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(PTI)