Hopeful Closure: After Seven Years Missing Indian Air Force Plane Found in Ocean
Defense News ,India :- After seven long years of not knowing what happened, the families of the 29 people who were on a missing Indian Air Force An-32 plane finally have some answers. The Indian government shared that they found parts of the plane in the Bay of Bengal, giving a real connection to the sad event that took place in 2016.
Back on July 22, 2016, the An-32 plane, with 29 people on a regular mission, disappeared over the Bay of Bengal. Despite many planes and ships searching, they couldn't find any sign of the plane or the people. The families of the missing went through a lot of pain and had many questions that nobody could answer.
Then, the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), a group under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, stepped in. Recently, NIOT used a special underwater robot called an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) to explore the last known location of the missing plane. The AUV, working 3400 meters below the surface, used advanced tools like multi-beam sonar and high-resolution photos to look at the ocean floor.
After carefully studying the images, they found parts of the plane on the seabed, about 310 kilometers away from the Chennai coast. By checking closely, they confirmed that these were parts of an An-32 plane. Since there were no reports of other missing planes in that area, they were sure that these were the remains of the lost Indian Air Force An-32.
Even though this discovery brings some closure to the families, it's a mix of good and sad feelings. Confirming the crash is heartbreaking, but it also ends the long time of not knowing. Now, the families can start to grieve and remember their loved ones.
Finding the debris also gives a chance for more investigation and recovery. NIOT will now work on mapping the crash site and figuring out if they can bring back the wreckage and the remains of the people. This information might help understand why the crash happened and give some comfort to the families.
