Bodies of four more passengers onboard an AN-12 of the Indian Air Force (IAF) which crashed at Rohtang Pass 56 years ago have been recovered following India’s longest-running search and recovery operations carried out by Indian Army’s Dogra Scouts in collaboration with representatives of Tiranga Mountain Rescue (TMR).
On February 7, 1968, an AN-12 aircraft carrying 102 passengers went missing after taking off from Chandigarh as it got trapped in severe weather conditions near the Rohtang Pass.
For decades, the wreckage and remains of the victims remained lost in the icy terrain.
It was only in 2003 when mountaineers from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering discovered the wreckage, leading to multiple expeditions over the years by the Army, especially the Dogra Scouts, to get the bodies of passengers.
Owing to search missions in 2005, 2006, 2013, and 2019 carried out in treacherous conditions and unforgiving terrain, only five bodies were recovered, said Indian Army officials. And that was in 2019.
The ‘Chandra Bhaga Mountain Expedition’, jointly conducted so far by Dogra Scouts and representatives of TMR, has now recovered four additional bodies, bringing renewed hope to the families of the deceased and the nation, the Army officials stated.
As of September 29, 2024, three fully intact bodies and remains of a fourth have been recovered from the snowbound mountains, shared by the Army.
One of the three bodies identified was that of Malkhan Singh (Pioneer). He belonged to the Indian Army’s Pioneer Corps, which provides well-trained and disciplined manpower for engineering and construction tasks.
Army officials said Singh’s identity was established by a voucher found in his pocket, which was subsequently matched with documents obtained from the Pioneer Records Office.
Similarly, Sepoy Narayan Singh of the Army Medical Corps (AMC), was identified by his paybook found on his person. Singh hailed from the village of Kolpadi, Chamoli Tehsil, in Garhwal, Uttarakhand.
“His next of kin is his wife, Basnati Devi. After years of uncertainty, his family can now finally lay him to rest with the dignity and honour he deserves,” said Army officials.
“The Unidentified Soldier. While documents recovered from the third body have not conclusively identified the individual, details of the next of kin were found. The wife, Parvati Devi, and father, Netram, were notified of the discovery,” stated Army.
The Army informed that the remains of Craftsman Thomas Charan from the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) were identified, with further confirmation through his playbook. He hailed from Elanthoor, Pathanamthitta district in Kerala, and his mother, Eleama, has been informed of the discovery.
The Chandra Bhaga Expedition has again demonstrated the Indian Army’s relentless determination to bring closure to families, even after half a century. The Dogra Scouts of the Indian Army, renowned for their expertise in high-altitude operations, have led this mission with exemplary courage, battling through extreme weather conditions and hostile terrain to recover the remains of their fallen comrades, stated Army.
The search for the remaining mortal remains of the passengers continues as the expedition, ongoing from September 25 to October 10, 2024, persists in its noble mission.
As the nation honours the courage of those who served and the persistence of those who search, this expedition will forever remain a chapter of sacrifice and determination etched in the annals of India’s history, observed Army.