NDRF to join search for missing aircraft in Jharkhand's Seraikela-Kharswan

Jamshedpur, Aug 21 (PTI) A NDRF team will join the search operation in Jharkhand's Seraikela-Kharswan district on Wednesday to trace a two-seater aircraft that went missing after it took off from an aerodrome here, a police officer said.

Search operations for the missing aircraft were carried out on Tuesday till midnight, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (Chandil) Sunil Kumar Rajwar told PTI.

The SDPO said NDRF team from Ranchi will join in the search operation on Wednesday.

A massive search operation is being conducted in Chandil dam in Seraikela-Kharswan district after locals claimed that they saw the debris of the aircraft in the reservoir, Superintendent of Police (Seraikela-Kharswan) Mukesh Kumar Lunayat told PTI.

Earlier, East Singhbhum district Deputy Commissioner Ananya Mittal told PTI that the last location of the aircraft, which belonged to Alchemist Aviation company, was detected near Nimdih under Chandil sub-division of Seraikela-Kharswan district, by the Air Traffic Control at Sonari Aerodrome.

The administrations of the East Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharswan districts, police and the Forest Department were searching for the aircraft, he said.

Besides the areas near Nimdih, searches were also being conducted in adjoining Purulia district of West Bengal, he added.

The aircraft, reported to be a Cessna 152 owned by flying school Alchemist Aviation, took off from the Sonari aerodrome in Jamshedpur around 11 am on Tuesday with a pilot and trainee on board, they said. PTI