Indian Air Force plane carrying 29 people missing

The Indian Air Force said an aircraft carrying 29 people is missing.

An AN-32 aircraft of the Indian Air Force. Photo: Defense Industry Daily.

The Indian Air Force AN-32 aircraft went missing while flying from Chennai to Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India Today reported.

"The plane took off at 8:30 am and was supposed to land in Port Blair at 11:30 am," AFP quoted Anupam Banerjee, an Indian air force spokesman, as saying. The plane was carrying 29 people, mostly military personnel.

Officials said they lost contact with the plane about 15 minutes after it took off. The plane has an emergency locator device that would activate if it crashed.

A joint force of the Indian navy, air force and coast guard is searching an area in the Bay of Bengal along the flight path of the missing plane.

The Indian Air Force currently has more than 100 AN-32 aircraft. This type of aircraft can operate continuously for 4 hours without refueling.

Flight path of the missing AN-32 aircraft. Graphics: Indian Navy.

According to VNE