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56 Years After Air Force Plane Crash Over Rohtang Pass, Mortal Remains Of 4 Soldiers Found

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New Delhi: Bodies of four more victims were recovered more than 56 years after an ill-fated AN-12 aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed over the Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh. This marks a significant success in one of India's longest-running search operations.The bodies were found by a joint team comprising personnel from the Dogra Scouts of the Indian Army and Tiranga Mountain Rescue."In an extraordinary development, the ongoing search and rescue mission to recover the remains of personnel from the AN-12 aircraft, which crashed on Rohtang Pass in 1968, has achieved significant breakthroughs," said an official.The aircraft, belonging to the Indian Air Force (IAF), was carrying 102 Army personnel on board and was on a routine flight from Chandigarh to Leh when it met with the tragic accident over five decades ago. The twin-engine turboprop transport aircraft, carrying 102 people, had gone missing on February 7, 1968 while flying from Chandigarh to Leh. For decades, the wreckage and remains of the victims remained lost in the icy terrain.

Wreckage Found After DecadesThe wreckage was first discovered in 2003 by mountaineers from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering, sparking multiple expeditions over the years by the Indian Army, especially the Dogra Scouts which have been at the forefront of search missions in 2005, 2006, 2013, and 2019.Only five bodies of the victims were recovered by 2019 in view of the treacherous conditions and unforgiving terrain of the crash site, according to officials.The Chandra Bhaga Mountain Expedition has now recovered four more bodies, bringing renewed hope to the families of the victims and the nation. The three out of four bodies are of Malkhan Singh, Sepoy Narayan Singh and Craftsman Thomas Charan, the officials said.Mayank Chaudhary, Superintendent of Police of the Lahaul-Spiti district, confirmed on Monday evening to ANI that information about the discovery had been received through a satellite phone from the Army expedition team. This team was conducting a mountaineering expedition in the remote and challenging region of CB-13 (Chandrabhaga-13 Peak), near Batal in Lahaul-Spiti."As per the information received via satellite communication, four bodies have been located. Based on preliminary findings, these remains are believed to be from the 1968 Indian Air Force crash involving an AN-12 aircraft," Chaudhary stated.The documents recovered from the remaining body have not conclusively identified the individual. However, the details of their relatives were found, the officials said.SP Chaudhary noted that the Army expedition team is now in the process of bringing the remains back to the base at Losar."The remains of the soldiers will be brought to Losar by the expedition team for further identification and formalities," he said, adding that the area in which the wreckage and remains were found is extremely challenging to navigate due to the rugged, high-altitude terrain.Charan hailed from Elanthoor, Pathanamthitta district in Kerala. His mother Eleama, has been informed of the recovery, they said. Malkhan Singh's identity was confirmed with the help of documents obtained from official records. Sepoy Singh, who worked in the Army Medical Corps, was identified through official documents. Singh hailed from the village of Kolpadi, Chamoli Tehsil in Garhwal, Uttarakhand, the officials said.
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