Sukhoi Su-30 MKI
The state-of-art anti-radiation missiles being ingeniously developed in India will be mounted on Sukhoi Su-30 MKI and LCA Tejas. (Representation Image)Creative Commons/ g4spE

The wreckage of the Indian Air Force's (IAF) Sukhoi-30 that went missing near the India-China border in Assam on May 23 was found on Friday in a heavily forested area. However, there are no signs of any survivors.

The aircraft had gone missing while it was on a routine training mission. It went off the radar 60 km north of the IAF headquarters in the Tezpur district of Assam.The IAF could not communicate with the two pilots who were onboard the Sukhoi-30. A search operation was subsequently launched to trace the missing plane. But the operation was disrupted due to bad weather.

"Wreckage found. Close to the last known position of aircraft. As of now weather is bad and the place has dense foliage. Further update follows," the IAF said in an official statement on Friday. The location of the two pilots is yet to be determined. However, it is being presumed that they would not have survived the crash.

"The wreckage of IAF Su-30 MKI jet that went missing with two pilots onboard has been found in the thick forest around 60 Kms from Tezpur, Assam where it lost radar contact with the base. The wreckage was located today and ground parties are standing by to be airlifted to the crash site as the area is totally inaccessible," an official statement from the Ministry of Defence read.

"Search for flight data recorder and missing crew will be perused by the ground parties after they reach the crash site. Search parties of Army are also attempting to reach the crash site by trekking cross country, however their progress is hampered due to inclement weather, thick vegetation and steep gradient of the terrain," the statement added.

The IAF has ordered a Court of Inquiry to "investigate the cause of the accident," the statement further added.

Four ground teams of IAF personnel, nine teams of the Indian Army and two of the state administration were deployed to search the area.

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