`Efforts to locate missing Dornier aircraft on round-the-clock`

New Delhi: As the search for the missing Indian Coast Guard Dornier aircraft enters third day, Principal Spokesperson, Ministry of Defence, Sitanshu Kar informed that efforts to locate the plane are on round-the-clock.

Kar, in a series of tweets, told that all areas of possibilities are being explored by Indian Coast Guard and Naval ships.

"ICGDornier 12 Coast Guard and Naval ships along with patrol boats of the Coastal Security group are continuing the search," he tweeted.

In another tweet, Kar wrote, "ICGDornier Aerial search by Coastal Security Gp of TN Police using their Paramotors is being undertaken in marshy and mangrove areas."

"ICGDornier Water samples from the area of oil patches reported by ICG dornier has been sent for analysis," read one his post regarding the search operations.

The aircraft had gone missing near Karaikal in Puducherry.

The Coast Guard has sought the Indian Space Research Organisation's help to locate the missing aircraft with the help of its satellites.

According to the official, there was no update on test done on samples of oil floating in Karaikal sea - an area where search was being conducted.

The coastal security agency on Wednesday said 15 highly specialised Coast Guard/naval ships and several patrol boats of coastal security group were involved in the search operation.

Air sorties too have been carried out to locate the missing aircraft.

Queried about tower signals of cellphones of the aircraft's crew, a Coast Guard official told IANS that no such signals were received.

The crew included Deputy Commandant Vidyasagar piloting the aircraft, his co-pilot and Deputy Commandant MK Soni and navigator/observer Subash Suresh, all in their 30s.

The missing aircraft was deployed for surveillance along the Tamil Nadu coast and Palk Bay. It took off from Chennai airport around 6 pm on Monday for a surveillance sortie but did not return.

An official statement issued on Tuesday said the last contact with the aircraft was made at 9 pm on Monday.

The last known location of the aircraft, as per Trichy radar, was off Karaikal in Puducherry, where it was tracked till 9.23 pm, 95 nautical miles south of Chennai.

"The aircraft was the latest induction in the Coast Guard inventory in 2014 and was being flown by highly experienced crew," an official statement said.

The latest incident comes months after a Dornier-228 of the Indian Navy with three crew members went down in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Goa.

(With IANS inputs)