The family of Thomas Cheriyan, a resident of Kerala, experienced a mix of emotions—happiness and sadness—as they learned that his body had been recovered 56 years after an Indian Air Force plane crashed over the Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh. Cheriyan’s remains were among four found during a recent search operation, as reported by the Army on Monday.
The AN-12 twin-engine turboprop transport aircraft, which had 102 individuals on board, went missing on February 7, 1968, while traveling from Chandigarh to Leh. For decades, the wreckage and victims’ remains lay undiscovered in the icy landscape.
Cheriyan hailed from Elanthoor in Pathanamthitta district. “We don’t know how to explain the situation. We are equally happy and sad,” one of Cheriyan’s siblings shared with reporters at their ancestral home.
The siblings expressed that they never expected to have the chance to bid farewell to their beloved brother decades after his passing. “I was just 12 when the aircraft crash happened. I still have vivid memories of my brother. He used to bring us so many things whenever he came home,” recalled his sister. She noted that Cheriyan was on his way to his posting after completing his training when the tragedy occurred, mentioning he had visited home a couple of times after joining the army.
The family felt a sense of relief, knowing they could finally perform his last rites. “We consider the recovery of his mortal remains as a great blessing. We thank God for this,” she added, stating that he would be buried in their local parish following the rituals.
One of Cheriyan’s younger brothers expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Army and the nation for their respect and consideration for the soldiers. However, the family lamented the absence of any photographs of their deceased brother, hoping the Army could assist in retrieving one from their archives.
Army officials announced on Monday that a joint team, including personnel from the Dogra Scouts of the Indian Army and Tiranga Mountain Rescue, discovered the bodies. The wreckage was first identified in 2003 by mountaineers from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering, leading to several expeditions over the years by the Indian Army, particularly the Dogra Scouts.
The Dogra Scouts have been involved in search missions in 2005, 2006, 2013, and 2019. By 2019, only five victims’ bodies had been recovered due to the hazardous conditions and challenging terrain at the crash site, as per official reports. The recent Chandra Bhaga Mountain Expedition’s recovery of four additional bodies has revived hope for the victims’ families and the nation, according to the Army.
