Itanagar, Jun 18 (UNI) Efforts are on to retrieve the mortal remains of the 13 air warriors of Indian Air Force (AIF) who lost their lives in an AN-32 aircraft crash on June 3 in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh.
“No efforts are being spared by IAF personnel to ensure that the mortal remains of their brothers in arms are retrieved at the earliest,” Tezpur-based Defence PRO Lt Col Harsh Wardhan Pande said in a statement on Tuesday.
He, however, said that helicopters including Mi17s, Cheetah and ALH have been unable to approach the site during the last three days, because of inclement weather in the valleys and cloud cover over the crash site.
“Retrieval operations require the steep mountainsides to be visible for the helicopters to safely hover close to the crash site and for operating crew to be able to see the personnel on the ground,” the Defence official stated.

Lt Col Pande said the IAF has actively coordinated with State administration at all levels and a ground team comprising Garud commandos of the IAF, SF of Indian Army, civilian porters and hunters is already on its way to the accident site on foot.
He said the first element of this trekking party is likely to reach the site late on June 19.
It may be mentioned that after the wreckage of the ill-fated aircraft was located near Gatte village under Payum Circle in Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh after extensive search operations on June 11.
Team of 15 mountaineers was dropped near the crash site the very next day and later three more mountaineers joined the rescue team. The mortal remains of air warriors, flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) were recovered at the crash site.
The IAF had announced that no survivors found from the crashed AN-32 aircraft, two days after the wreckage was located.
On June 3, the ill-fated AN-32 aircraft took off from Jorhat airbase for Mechuka Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) in Arunachal Pradesh.
UNI DS RN