The Minister of State, Defence, told the Lok Sabha on Friday that there are likely no survivors from the Air Force AN-32 plane crash, PTI reported. The aircraft, flying from Chennai to Port Blair and carrying 29 passengers, went missing soon after it took off on July 22. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has overseen search and rescue operations, but no trace of the aircraft has been found.

Search operations were impeded by rain, and also because the aircraft did not have an underwater locator beacon. India has sought the help of the United States to locate the missing plane.