56 years after IAF plane crash over Rohtang La, four bodies recovered

The tragedy dates back to February 7, 1968, when an IAF AN-12 aircraft, carrying 102 passengers, went missing after taking off from Chandigarh.

Fifty-six years after the ill-fated Indian Air Force’s (IAF) AN-12 aircraft crashed at the Rohtang Pass, four bodies were recovered near the Chandrabhaga range 13 (CB 13) peak, near Batal, in Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal.

The bodies were recovered near the Chandrabhaga range 13 peak near Batal in Himachal’s Lahaul and Spiti district. (File)

While confirming the recovery of four bodies, Lahaul and Spiti superintendent of police (SP) Mayank Chaudhary, said, “We have received the information about and the police and medical team will leave from Kaza now. After the post-mortem of the bodies, they will be handed over to their families.”

The tragedy dates back to February 7, 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.

Later in 2003, the plane’s wreckage was discovered in the south Dhaka glacier by an expedition of the ABV Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali. The mountaineers also found the remains of a body, subsequently identified as that of Sepoy Beli Ram, an army man who was on the flight.

It also sparked 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 Chandrabhaga Mountain Expedition has now recovered four additional bodies, bringing renewed hope to the families of the deceased and the nation.