According to government sources two IAF Sukhois from Bareilly and a MI-17 of IAF joined hundreds of personnel of Army, SSB, ITBP and police in the searches but failed to locate the chopper that went missing on Saturday after taking off from Tawang for Itanagar.
Satellite images sought by the Centre from ISRO also did not give any clue as the area where the helicopter ferrying Khandu, 56, went missing was under cloud cover, Indian Space Research Organisation said.
“The images are cloud-covered and so far nothing could be spotted,” ISRO spokesperson Satish said in Bangalore on Sunday.
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna spoke to Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigme Thinley seeking assistance in the search.
Krishna discussed with Thinley the issue of logistical support to those involved in search operations along the Indo-Bhutan border, sources said in Delhi.
Union Minister of State V Narayanasamy who is in Itanagar said that all-out efforts were on to locate the helicopter carrying Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and four others that went missing Saturday and “we are hopeful of locating the chopper”.
Emerging from a marathon meeting he had with the state ministers and top civil and police officials here this evening, the Union Minister told media “Apart from the help from ISRO and Sukhoi aircraft from IAF, Army and paramilitary forces are being pressed into service to trace out the missing chopper and the Chief Minister. We are hopeful of locating the missing chopper and its occupants including Dorjee Khandu.”
“So far, there is no information about the helicopter with Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and four others and bad weather has hampered the aerial surveys. We are in constant touch with the Bhutan government and trying to locate exactly where the helicopter could have landed,” said
Narayanasamy said outside Chief Minister’s official bungalow here after emerging from a marathon one-and-a-half-hour-long closed-door meeting with the state ministers, senior government officials and others.
“The chopper carrying Chief Minister Khandu and four others that went missing yesterday still remains traceless with the bad weather hampering the search operation being launched by Indian Air Force (IAF) and ground search by the Army, para-military forces and State Police to locate the missing chopper.”
“Two helicopters are ready at Guwahati and Sukhoi aircraft at Tezpur airbase for search operation but the adverse weather condition is hampering their operations,” said the Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, adding, “As soon as the weather condition improves, they will be able to go for the search operation.”
“They (search teams) are trying to locate the missing helicopter and all things are going on in a concerted manner,” added Narayanasamy, who along with Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Mukul Wasnik arrived here around 12 noon on the directive of the Prime Minister to monitor the situation.
He said, “The Central Government, including Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, has taken the matter seriously and is very concerned about the wellbeing of the Chief Minister and his missing chopper. The Home Ministry and the Ministry of External Affairs are in constant touch with the Government of Bhutan, which is extending all cooperation.”
Narayanasamy said that a formal statement with authenticated information on the missing helicopter would be made by the evening, hinting at a possible press briefing. However, there was no further information in this regard.