 "US plane with 10 on board goes missing near Alaska, search operations launched")
A US plane carrying 10 people went off radar midair near the state of Alaska, officials said, adding that a search and rescue operation had been launched.
The aircraft, identified as Cessna 208B Grand Caravan operated by Bering, abruptly disappeared while flying from Unalakleet to Nome. NBC News quoted Bering Air Director of Operations David Olson as saying that the flight took off from Unalakleet at 2:37 pm.
The disappearance of the plane was reported to Alaska State Troopers at 4 pm local time. According to media reports, the plane had nine passengers on board and the pilot.
The plane was reportedly 12 miles offshore when its position was lost.
Active ground search on
Nome Volunteer Fire Department in a statement said that they have roped in the Coast Guard for a ground search mission. It added that severe weather conditions had earlier led to disruption in local air service Thursday afternoon.
“Ground crews have covered ground all along the coast from Nome to Topkok,” the fire department said. “The planes exact location is still unknown. We continue to expand search efforts to as many avenues as possible until the plane is located.”
White Mountain Fire Chief Jack Adams was quoted as saying by local media that the worse case scenario would be the plane being in the water.
“We’re hoping [the plane] is on land, being in the water would be the worst-case scenario”.
The Coast Guard said its C-130 plane involved in search and rescue had advanced equipment onboard, helping it track people and objects even in low-visibility conditions.
“The plane’s exact location is still unknown. We continue to expand search efforts to as many avenues as possible until the plane is located,” the fire department wrote in an update late on Thursday.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsMeanwhile, Norton Sound Health Corporation, a local hospital in Nome, said it had made arrangements “to respond to a community medical emergency”.
(With inputs from agencies)
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