Soldier's body found in Himachal after 45 years

Some 45 years after an Indian Army transport aircraft crashed in the remote mountains of Himachal Pradesh killing all 98 soldiers on-board, the body of one soldier has been recovered, a defence spokesman said on Sunday.

"An expedition of the Indian Army mountaineers (Dogra scouts of the Western Command) returned on Friday with the body of a soldier who died in the plane crash in February 1968,"said the spokesman.

"The mortal remains of the soldier were recovered at an altitude of 18,000 ft on the Dhakka glacier in Lahaul & Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh on August 22 after about 45 years and six months,"the official said.
 

"The soldier has been identified as a non-commissioned officer, havaldar Jagmail Singh of Corps of EME."

"His identity was established by an identity disk, an insurance policy and a letter from his family which was found in his pocket," he added .

"The body will be flown to his native village (Meerpur) in Rewari (Haryana) for last rites with full military honours,"the spokesman said.

In 2003 the debris of the ill-fated aircraft was accidentally discovered by an expedition team at Dhakka glacier.

Since then three search missions till 2009 have recovered four more bodies. The latest search operation started on August 13 this year to locate more bodies.

A flight recorder (black box) and one body was found on August 22.

The aircraft made last radio contact near Rohtang pass and then appeared to have vanished into this air in February 1968.