Crash victims’ families confront Rajnath Singh

The silence of the foggy and wintry morning at the airstrip, where leaders and families paid the ceremonial last tributes and placed wreaths on the mortal remains of the ten personnel, was broken when the family members, one by one, started wailing, and their screams rent the sombre air. 

A distraught and agitated daughter of Sub-Inspector Rabinder Kumar, who was among the 10 personnel killed in yesterday’s crash, asked Singh and BSF Director General D K Pathak to “address” these issues so that soldiers on the line of duty are not killed in such mishaps. 

Why only soldiers get killed in such accidents and it never happens to VIPs,” she asked as soon as Singh began meeting the families.

However, refuting allegations about any possible defect in the the plane, BSF Director General D K Pathak said there was no problem with the plane and it was flying well. “This aircraft was 20-yearsold and in the aviation domain, an aircraft has life till 4045 years. 

A major overhauling of this aircraft’s engines was done at the Beachcraft factory in Canada about six months back. Only two days back this aircraft did a good duty and a day back it had carried back officers from Bhuj (from the DG/ IG meeting),” he said. 

He said the main probe into the crash is being done by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and that it would be “premature” to speculate on the possible reasons for the air mishap. Rijiju said he has travelled in the plance and added that it had got a long life.