The mortal remains of four soldiers from an Indian Air Force AN-12 aircraft that crashed in 1968 have been recovered, and a post-mortem will be conducted in Losar before the remains are returned to their respective families. The aircraft went down near the Dhaka glacier in the Lahaul valley of Himachal Pradesh 56 years ago, carrying 102 soldiers.
Superintendent of Police for Lahaul-Spiti, Mayank Choudhary, revealed that consistent efforts had been made over the years to locate the wreckage and recover the bodies. While five remains had been recovered earlier, a recent expedition in September led to the discovery of four more remains. “The bodies were in a decomposed state,” Choudhary stated.
The identified soldiers include Malkhan Singh from Saharanpur, Sipahi Narain Singh from Pauri Garhwal, Sipahi Munshi Ram from Rewari, Haryana, and Thomas Cherian from Kerala. After their recovery, the bodies will undergo a post-mortem in Losar before being handed over to their families.
An Indian Army expedition successfully located the remains in the remote and challenging terrain of CB-13 (Chandrabhaga-13 Peak), near Batal in Lahaul-Spiti. Confirmation of the discovery was received via satellite phone from the Army expedition team.
The AN-12 aircraft took off from Chandigarh en route to Leh but encountered severe weather, resulting in the crash. Over the years, multiple search operations faced challenges due to the high-altitude, snow-covered region. Despite repeated efforts, many bodies and debris remained lost until recent discoveries.
In 2018, remains of the aircraft and one soldier were found at the Dhaka glacier base camp at an altitude of 6,200 meters by a mountaineering team participating in a clean-up expedition to the Chandrabhaga-13 peak.
This recent discovery has brought renewed attention to the crash, with hopes that more remains of soldiers still missing might be located. The expedition is expected to continue searching the area for additional clues and remains hidden in the treacherous terrain.
