IAF// A transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) with 29 people on board went missing over the Bay of Bengal on July 24. A big search operation to find the aircraft has been launched but the plane is yet to be found. The aircraft which had IAF staff as well as people from the Indian Navy, Indian Army and Coast Guard on board was headed from Chennai to Port Blair. Weather on the route was stormy due to the monsoon season and it is possible that the weather may have caused an accident.

IAF planes, Navy and Coast Guard ships have been searching the Bay of Bengal in the area where the aircraft was last seen on radar systems. Bad weather and rough seas in the Bay have made search operations difficult. Chances of locating the plane, which probably crashed into the sea, are only around 50%, say experts. Union defence minister Manohar Parrikar today told parliament that India has sought help from US to check if their satellites captured any signals from the missing AN-32 aircraft, while noting there was very little possibility that sabotage played any role.