January 07, 2026 01:14 pm (IST)
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IAF plane goes missing with 29, massive search operation on
New Delhi, July 22 (IBNS) : An Indian Air Force (IAF) AN-32 transport plane bound for Port Blair in the Andaman island carrying with 29 aboard, mostly military personnel, went missing after it took off from Chennai on Friday morning, prompting a massive search operation by Navy ships, IAF officials said.
The AN 32 plane took off from the Tambaram air base near Chennai and was heading for Port Blair where it was scheduled to and was to have landed around 11.20 am. But the plane did not arrive.
The AN-32 was on a routine sortie from Air Force Station Tambaram to Port Blair.
Officials say the last contact with the plane was around 15 minutes after take-off.
According to an Indian Navy release, ENC (Eastern Naval Command) has deployed two P8i Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft with advanced Electro-optics and radars, two Dornier aircraft and twelve ships with integral helicopters to join the search operations initiated to locate aircraft reported missing approx 300 km due East of Chennai this morning.
Four ships of ENC which were deployed in the Bay of Bengal on different missions, have been diverted to the search area and eight ships of Eastern Fleet with Fleet Cdr embarked onboard which are on return passage from the South China Sea are also proceeding at best speed to join the search operations.
A submarine at sea is also diverted to the area for locating the transmissions from emergency locator beacon onboard the aircraft.
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