Fifty-six years after an Indian Air Force (IAF) plane carrying 102 individuals crashed in Rohtang Pass, the Indian Army has successfully recovered four more bodies from the accident site in Himachal Pradesh.
The AN-12 aircraft went missing on February 7, 1968, shortly after departing from Chandigarh. It crashed due to severe weather conditions near Rohtang Pass, and for decades, the wreckage and the remains of the victims remained lost in the icy terrain.
The recent recovery was part of a search and rescue mission led by the Dogra Scouts, in collaboration with representatives from Tiranga Mountain Rescue. This operation is a segment of the larger Chandra Bhaga Mountain Expedition.
The wreckage was initially discovered in 2003 by mountaineers from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering, leading to several expeditions conducted by the Indian Army, particularly by the Dogra Scouts, during 2005, 2006, 2013, and 2019.
Before this recovery, only five bodies had been retrieved from the crash site up until 2019. The recent expedition has increased the total number of recovered bodies to nine.
Out of the four newly recovered bodies, three have been identified. Malkhan Singh, a Pioneer, was identified through a voucher found in his pocket. Sepoy Narayan Singh from the Army Medical Corps was recognized by his paybook, and Craftsman Thomas Charan from the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) was confirmed through his paybook as well.
The fourth victim has yet to be identified, but the Army has located family details and has informed them of the development.
The search expedition is set to continue until October 10, as stated by the Army.
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