The families of those on board the missing AN-32 aircraft of the IAF have been informed that their relatives are “presumed dead” as the search operations for the aircraft continued.
There were 29 people on the transport plane which had vanished over the sea after it took off from Chennai for Port Blair on 22 July 2016.
IAF sources said the families have been given the information so that they can go ahead with insurance and other administrative formalities.
The letter came annexed with a certificate of presumption of death.
“The search for missing AN-32 is still in progress,” defence sources said.
The plane did not have an underwater locator system, which has made the search difficult.
“No fewer than 201 search and rescue sorties, using all suitable aircraft at our disposal were undertaken.
Approximately 2,17,800 square nautical miles (sq. nm) have been covered multiple times by these aircraft,” the letter stated.
“International emergency response teams and satellites from USA also did not help in getting any concrete information about the missing aircraft,” it added.
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