Bad weather hits IAF crash victims’ retrieval operation

Earlier in the day, IAF chief B S Dhanoa assured that all efforts will be made to ascertain the cause of the crash and to ensure that such accidents do not recur.

Operations to retrieve the mortal remains of the 13 men killed in the June 3 Antonov-32 plane crash have been hit by bad weather, the Indian Air Force said on Saturday.

Rescue teams are on standby and will begin work as soon as the weather improves.(PTI PHOTO)

“The rescue operations are being curtailed due to incessant rains and heavy clouding,” a statement issued by the IAF said. Rescue teams are on standby and will begin work as soon as the weather improves.

“Helicopter operations require great skill and caution under such conditions...Bad weather is hampering hovering by helicopters for winching operations which are mandatory for all rescue operations and recovery of mortal remains,” it added.

Earlier in the day, IAF chief B S Dhanoa assured that all efforts will be made to ascertain the cause of the crash and to ensure that such accidents do not recur.

“...We will go into the detail (to ascertain) as to what happened and how do we make sure that it does not happen again,” he said on the sidelines of an event in Dundigal, Hyderabad.

The AN-32 took off from Jorhat in Assam on June 3 and was on its way to an advanced landing ground at Mechuka in Arunachal Pradesh’s West Siang district when it lost contact with ground control. A search team spotted the wreckage of the AN-32 on Tuesday.