FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT
ITAGAR, Aug 8: The fate of the missing Pawan Hans chopper shrouded in mystery with search parties failed to trace out even on the fifth day today. Altogether five choppers including M-17, A1-30 and Chetak of the Army and Indian Air Force conducted 11 sorties during the day, even as Army, IRBn, state police and locals conducted ground search operation in all suspected locations in Tirap district to trace the chopper but in vain, state civil aviation secretary B M Mishra informed.
“We are trying to utilize all available resources to locate the chopper as per available leads from the locals who claimed to sight the chopper on the day of its missing. Despite our all-out efforts we have not succeeded till now,” Mishra added.
Sukhoi plane conducted numbers of recce in the past two days but failed to scan the area covered by dense forest.
The search operation was concentrated in the thick jungles between Sanliam and Dadam. Some search teams are camping in the jungles between these two villages as they are yet to cover the whole area where the chopper was reportedly sighted flying last, District Information and Public Relation Officier (DIPRO) Dehang Bosai informed from Khonsa.
The Dauphin chopper of state-run Pawan Hans went missing with Tirap DC Kamlesh Kumar Joshi and two pilots - Captain M S Brar and Captain Rajeev Hoskote after it took-off from Khonsa in Tirap district at around 10.45 am on Tuesday.
The relatives of Dr Joshi including his wife Neha Joshi have already arrived at Khonsa and are impatiently waiting to hear something about her missing husband.
Director General of Civil Aviation has ordered a prelimiry inquiry into the incident, while Pawan Hans authorities deputed teams from New Delhi and Guwahati and ordered an interl inquiry.
The district administration has also announced incentives for villagers engaged in the search.