Indian Air Force: On Tuesday, August 21, a technical issue with an Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jet caused an ‘air store’ to accidentally drop near the Pokhran firing range. The IAF has ordered an investigation into the incident. Fortunately, no damage or casualties have been reported.

In Jharkhand, an Alchemist Aviation training plane disappeared about 20 minutes after taking off from Sonari Airport in Jamshedpur on Tuesday. The plane and its two pilots have been missing for 27 hours. There are fears that the plane may have crashed into the Chandil Dam in East Singhbhum.

Since Tuesday evening, an NDRF team has been searching the dam. Local villagers reported seeing the plane crash into the dam. The plane was being flown by Captain Jeet Shatru Anand from Patna, with trainee pilot Subhrodeep Dutta from Jamshedpur.

The plane took off around 11 a.m., but contact with air traffic control (ATC) was lost about 20 minutes later. Airport authorities requested assistance from the East Singhbhum and Saraikela-Kharsawan district administrations. Search efforts based on the plane’s last known location began in the Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary and surrounding areas near Jamshedpur.

Helicopters have searched the area, but no clues have been found. Police and administrative teams have also scoured from Jharkhand to the West Bengal border, and the West Bengal government has been informed. Meanwhile, two villagers, Tapan Manjhi and Rusa Manjhi, told police that they saw a plane fall into the Chandil Dam.