Chennai: Coast Guard assisted by Navy has undertaken a massive search operation after its Dornier surveillance aircraft with three personnel on board went missing on Monday night off the coast of Chennai.
"On receipt of the information, massive search and rescue efforts have been launched by utilising all available surface and air craft of the Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy," Coast Guard said in a statement in Chennai on Tuesday.
"Five Coast Guard ships, four Naval ships, along with Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy air craft and a long range maritime surveillance air craft P81 are undertaking search and rescue operation in the area", it said.
"The aircraft CG-791 was deployed along the Tamil Nadu coast and Palk Bay from the Coast Guard Air Station Chennai last evening and it failed to return to the base."
"The last contact with the air craft was about 2100 hours yesterday and the radar at Tiruchirappalli airport tracked the air craft till 2123 hours in position 95 nautical miles south of Chennai (Off Karaikal Coast)", it said.
The air craft is the latest induction in the Coast Guard inventory and "was being flown by highly experienced crew", it said.
The Coast Guard is closely monitoring the progress of search and rescue efforts, the release said.
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