In a major breakthrough, 56 years after an IAF’s AN-12 aircraft crashed on the Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh, frozen bodies of four soldiers of the Indian Army were recovered from the wreckage by an Army team in India’s longest-running search and recovery operation.

A defence spokesman said on Monday that three of these bodies recovered on September 29 were intact and remains of the fourth were found on the snowbound mountain. One of these bodies has been identified as that of Malkhan Singh (Pioneer), who was identified by a voucher found in his pocket which was confirmed with the help of documents obtained from Pioneer Records Office. Narayan Singh, a sepoy from the Army Medical Corps (AMC), was identified by his paybook found on his person. He hailed from the village Kolpadi, Chamoli Tehsil in Garhwal, Uttarakhand. His next of kin is his wife, Basnati Devi. After years of uncertainty, his family can now finally lay him to rest with the dignity and honour he deserved.

Body of an unidentified soldier has also been recovered. While documents recovered from his body have not conclusively identified the individual, details of the next of kin were found. His wife, Parvati Devi, and father, Netram, were notified of the discovery. The fourth one recovered was that of Craftsman Thomas Charan, Corps of Electronics and Mechancial Engineering. (EME). His remains were identified, with further confirmation through his paybook. He hailed from Elanthoor, Pathanamthitta district in Kerala. His next of kin, his mother Eleama, has been informed of the discovery, said the spokesman. The search mission to trace remains of the killed soldiers, led by the Dogra Scouts of the Indian Army in collaboration with representatives of Tiranga Mountain Rescue, is part of the larger Chandra Bhaga Mountain Expedition.

The tragedy dates back to 7 February 1968, when an IAF AN-12 aircraft, carrying 102 passengers, went missing after taking off from Chandigarh and encountering severe weather conditions near the Rohtang Pass. For decades, the wreckage and remains of the victims remained lost in the icy terrain. It was only in 2003 when mountaineers from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering, Manali, discovered the wreckage, sparking multiple expeditions over the years by the Indian Army, especially the Dogra Scouts, who have been at the forefront of search missions in 2005, 2006, 2013, and 2019.

Despite the treacherous conditions and unforgiving terrain, only five bodies were recovered by 2019. However, the Chandra Bhaga Mountain Expedition has now recovered four additional bodies, bringing renewed hope to the families of the deceased and the nation.

The expedition has once again demonstrated the Indian Army’s relentless determination to bring closure to families, even after half a century. The Dogra Scouts of the Indian Army, renowned for their expertise in high-altitude operations, have led this mission with exemplary courage, battling through extreme weather conditions and hostile terrain to recover the remains of their fallen comrades.

The search for the remaining mortal remains of the passengers continues as the expedition, ongoing from September 25 to 10 October 10 2024, persists in its noble mission. As the nation honours the courage of those who served and the persistence of those who search, this expedition will forever remain a chapter of sacrifice and determination etched in the annals of India’s history, the spokesman added.