Uttarakhand CM Pays Tribute to AN-12 Crash Hero After 56 Years

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami honored soldier Narayan Singh, whose remains from a 1968 AN-12 aircraft crash were recently recovered. The aircraft, carrying 102 army personnel, crashed in the Lahaul valley due to severe weather. Singh's remains were returned to his hometown, inspiring many.

Uttarakhand's Chief Minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, paid homage on Thursday to soldier Narayan Singh, whose remains were recently uncovered from the 1968 AN-12 aircraft crash in Himachal Pradesh's Lahaul valley. The ill-fated Indian Air Force plane, carrying 102 Army personnel, was on a routine Chandigarh-Leh flight when tragedy struck over half a century ago.

Singh's remains were returned to Pauri Garhwal, with Chief Minister Dhami expressing on X, "May Narayan Singh remain immortal." This esteemed soldier from the Indian Army's Medical Corps has his story of valor once again engraved in the hearts of the nation. During that fateful year, Singh had disappeared after the aircraft crash at Rohtang Pass, but now, his legacy endures as a beacon of courage.

The recovery effort continues to unearth the stories of those lost in one of India's aviation tragedies. The AN-12 aircraft succumbed to severe weather, its wreckage buried deep within Lahaul's treacherous terrains. Despite exhaustive searches, much of the debris remained concealed under high-altitude snow and challenging conditions until recently.

(With inputs from agencies.)