56 Years After Rohtang Crash, Sepoy Malkhan Singh's Remains Finally Arrive Home

After 56 years, the remains of Sepoy Malkhan Singh, who went missing in a 1968 aircraft crash over Himachal Pradesh’s Rohtang, are set to be returned home. The Indian Army and Tiranga Mountain Rescue discovered the remains. His family will soon conduct the last rites in Fatehpur village.

After a 56-year-long wait, the mortal remains of Sepoy Malkhan Singh, who went missing in a 1968 aircraft crash at the snow-clad mountains of Himachal Pradesh's Rohtang, will be arriving at his home here, officials said.

Army officials reported that the remains were found by a joint team comprising personnel from the Dogra Scouts of the Indian Army and Tiranga Mountain Rescue.

Additional SP Sagar Jain confirmed that the body is expected to reach from Ladakh by October 3. Singh's family will perform his last rites in their native Fatehpur village in Nanauta area.

Singh's family was recently informed about the recovery by the Army and are now preparing for the last rites, the officer added.

Around 56 years after an AN-12 aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed over the Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh, the remains of four victims were recovered, marking a milestone in India's lengthiest search operation.

The twin-engine turboprop aircraft, carrying 102 people, vanished on February 7, 1968, while en route from Chandigarh to Leh.

"In an extraordinary development, the ongoing mission to recover the remains of personnel from the AN-12 aircraft has seen significant breakthroughs," an official stated.

For decades, the wreckage and remains of the victims were lost in the icy terrain.

It was until 2003, when mountaineers from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering discovered the wreckage, sparking multiple expeditions by the Indian Army over the years, particularly by the Dogra Scouts.

By 2019, only five victims' bodies were recovered due to the treacherous conditions of the crash site.

The currently identified remains include Sepoy Malkhan Singh, Sepoy Narayan Singh, and Craftsman Thomas Charan, officials confirmed.

The documents found with the fourth body have not yet conclusively identified the individual, although next of kin details were recovered, officials said.

(With inputs from agencies.)