New Delhi: A search operation was underway for two Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots who had gone missing four days ago on board a Sukhoi-30 jet, the wreckage of which was found on Friday in a forested area in Assam.
Garud Commandos were air-dropped to access the wreckage, located 60km from the Tezpur Air Force Station from where the pilots took off on a routine sortie on May 23. The commandos, however, failed to reach the site due to poor visibility, sources told CNN-News18.
The Indian Army's Cheetah helicopters, which were deployed in the search operation, reported sighting parachutes in the same area, giving hope that the pilots may have self-ejected before the crash. The identity of the pilots was yet to be disclosed.
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The Indian Air Force on Friday ordered a court of inquiry into the crash, hours after the debris of the fighter plane was sighted, reported PTI. "A court of inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of the accident," IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Anupam Banerjee said in Delhi.
"The search parties of the Army are also trekking their way to the crash site. However, their progress is getting hampered due to inclement weather, thick foliage and steep terrain," Banerjee said.
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