Mortal Remains of Soldier Killed in 1968 IAF Plane Crash Returned to Native Village in Saharanpur
A large crowd gathered to pay their final respects to the soldier, honoring his sacrifice.
1968 IAF Plane Crash News: The mortal remains of Sepoy Malkhan Singh, who lost his life in the Indian Air Force (IAF) AN-12 aircraft crash near Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh in 1968, were brought back to his native village in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur on Wednesday.
A large crowd gathered to pay their final respects to the soldier, honoring his sacrifice.
On September 30, an Indian Army expedition successfully recovered the remains of four soldiers from the wreckage of the AN-12 aircraft, which tragically crashed in the Lahaul valley over five decades ago. The ill-fated aircraft, operated by the Indian Air Force, was carrying 102 Army personnel on a routine flight from Chandigarh to Leh when it met with the devastating accident in 1968.
This recent discovery marks a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to recover the remains of those who perished in one of the most tragic incidents in Indian military aviation history. The AN-12 aircraft encountered severe weather conditions, resulting in its crash into the mountainous terrain of the Lahaul valley. Despite numerous search operations over the years, many bodies and debris remained lost in the high-altitude, snow-covered region.
In 2018, the remains of the aircraft and one soldier's body were discovered at the Dhaka glacier base camp, situated at an altitude of 6,200 meters. This recovery was part of a clean-up expedition to the Chandrabhaga-13 peak, initiated on July 1, 2018.
The latest recovery has reignited interest in the 1968 crash, with hopes that it may eventually lead to the identification of other soldiers still missing from the tragic incident. The expedition team plans to continue searching the area for additional remains and clues about the crash that may still be concealed in the challenging terrain.
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