|
| Andhra Pradesh ~ India ~ International ~ City ~ Entertainment ~ Business ~ Bullion ~ Forex ~ Sports ~ Technology ~ Health ~ Features |
| Panchang ~ Manmohan Singh ~ Sonia Gandhi ~ Sheila Dikshit ~ Stock Markets ~ Gossip |
|
Home
/ India News / 2007 / August 2007 / August 10, 2007 After 3 failed attempts, Army retrieves mortal remains of soldiers killed in 1968 air crash |
Nagarjuna Finance Ltd Promoter and Director arrested
Rajnath Singh to Shekhawat: Avoid active politics
Pak Information Minister admits Qasab is a Pakistani national
Paris Hilton says she has only slept with a couple of people!
Satyam chairman Ramalinga Raju resigns, admits financial wrong-doing
Bangladesh pair Ashraful and Mushfiqur fined for ICC code breaches in Chittagong Test
Fishs memories last up to five months
Sack lunches may not provide adequate nutrients to preschooler
After four decades and three failed attempts, the Indian Army has retrieved the mortal remains of three soldiers who were killed in a 1968 crash of an AN-12 aircraft that was carrying 102 soldiers on board.
New Delhi, Aug 10 : After four decades and three failed attempts, the Indian Army has retrieved the mortal remains of three soldiers who were killed in a 1968 crash of an AN-12 aircraft that was carrying 102 soldiers on board.
The mortal remains of the soldiers killed in the air crash were recovered from the remote glaciated area at an altitude of over 17,500 feet in the Lahaul Valley in Himachal Pradesh.
"Efforts are being made to confirm the identity of the deceased soldiers from the documents and identity cards recovered along with the bodies. Thereafter, the next of kin of the deceased soldiers will be intimated," a statement issued by the Army said.
The remains of the soldiers were flown to Chandigarh on Friday.
On August 2, this year, an expedition led by Major Nishant Kumar of the Dogra Scouts, stumbled upon the mortal remains. The team spring into action and made a detailed search of the area for next five days.
The AN-12 aircraft of the Indian Air Force had taken off from Chandigarh on February 7, 1968 on a routine logistics sortie and was headed for Leh. However, due to the inclement weather, the aircraft failed to negotiate and hit the towering 6264-meter high Chandrabhaga peak.
There were no survivors of the crash and the wreckage of the aircraft was not found until July 2003 when an expedition from the Manali Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports discovered the wreckage site.
The team also found the mortal remains and documents of one victim, - Pioneer Beli Ram. His remains were moved to his native village in Akhnoor and cremated with full military honours.
Subsequently, the army has launched expeditions every summer to recover bodies of the lost soldiers. However, these operations had not yielded any positive results during the past three attempts.
ANI
