AN-32: IAF files formal complaint with TN police as search for missing aircraft enters third day

After 48 hours of frantic search involving assets drawn from Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard, authorities have lodged a formal complaint with Tamil Nadu police over the missing AN-32 aircraft.

"We have received a complaint that Air Force's AN-32 transport aircraft has gone missing," a senior police official said on Sunday.

"The complaint was lodged last night with Selaiyur police," he said.

"The complaint says that 29 personnel on board AN-32 and the aircraft have gone missing. Among the missing personnel is one person from Tamil Nadu," the official told PTI.

Such a complaint has been lodged for legal purposes.

Meanwhile, the search and rescue team is seeking satellite imagery to find any clue of the plane that lost contact over the Bay of Bengal.

Inclement weather was posing a major challenge in the operation. The authorities are now seeking satellite imagery of the area.

"The search operation is continuing on a 24-hour basis and all resources at disposal are being used.

"We have also sought satellite information," Eastern Naval Command chief Vice Admiral HCS Bisht said in Vishakhapatnam.

"The depth of water there is about 3,500 metres and in some place it is even more. As the depth increases, challenges also increase," he said, adding that the weather was rough and it was raining.

He said the family members are being updated on a regular basis.

AN-32, IAF's Port Blair bound transport plane went missing after it took off from the Tambaram air base here by 8.30 am on July 22.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday undertook an aerial survey to personally monitor the search and rescue operations.