'Some objects' spotted as search for missing IAF AN-32 aircraft enters sixth day

Some objects were spotted as the co-ordinated search for the missing aircraft AN-32 of the IAF continued for the sixth day on Wednesday.

Chennai: Some objects were spotted as the co-ordinated search for the missing aircraft AN-32 of the Indian Air Force (IAF) continued for the sixth day on Wednesday in the extended area of the Bay of Bengal between Chennai and Port Blair.

There are no confirmed reports of anything, but there are some objects, news agency ANI quoted Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar as saying.

Ships involved in the search operation have been asked to verify, the Defence Minister added.

Parrikar had yesterday said a lot of resources have been deployed to work to locate the missing aircraft and that the Ministry was doing its best to find out leads.

A top Coast Guard official had earlier that said no debris or survivors have been located yet.

An international safety network has been activated to alert the merchant ships passing by the zone of search operation to look out for any survivors or the debris.

The Andaman and Nicobar Command of the defence forces are keeping a watch for it even beyond the search zone.

As part of the procedure, a formal complaint about the missing aircraft has been registered with the Selaiyur police station in Chennai by the Air Force authorities.

India`s largest ever search operation over the sea to trace the missing twin-engined aircraft is getting imageries of the search area from the ISRO through its radar imaging satellite RISAT.

The Indian Mission Control Centre of the space agency responsible for Satellite Aided Search and Rescue in the region is supplementing the operation by offering its services.

Seventeen naval and Coast Guard ships are mounting day-and-night watch and various military aircraft have made 28 sorties over the search zone till Sunday evening.