Sushma Swaraj's plane 'goes missing' for 14 minutes
New Delhi, June 3: In a major scare, an Indian Air Force plane carrying External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj lost contact with air traffic control for almost 14 minutes on Sunday.
Sushma Swaraj, who was traveling to Mauritius for the BRICS summit, departed from Thiruvananthapuram at 2.08 pm.
While the aircraft changed over from Indian airspace and established contact with the Male air traffic control (ATC) at 4.44 pm, it could not contact Mauritius ATC after entering Mauritius airspace, the Airports Authority of India said in a statement.
After the Mauritius ATC activated the uncertainty code "INCERFA" -- used for the phase where uncertainty exists regarding the safety of an aircraft and its occupants -- the flight came in contact with the Mauritius ATC at 4.58 pm and landed later.
"Mauritius ATC activated INCERFA (uncertainty phase) without allowing the stipulated time period of 30 minutes to lapse from the time when aircraft last contacted ATC. This was perhaps done because the flight was carrying a VIP," the statement said.
The other codes used in emergency situations include ALERFA (when apprehension exists as to the safety of an aircraft and its occupants) and DETRESFA (when there is a reasonable certainty that an aircraft and its occupants are threatened by grave and imminent danger and require immediate assistance).
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Rohit Sharma, Ritika Sajdeh welcome baby boy
Mumbai: India cricket captain Rohit Sharma and his wife Ritika Sajdeh have been blessed with a baby boy, according to sources. Social media reports from fans shared the news on Friday night, which has now been confirmed. The couple, already parents to five-year-old daughter Samaira, are yet to make an official announcement or disclose details about the birth.
Rohit had stayed back in India and did not travel to Perth with the Indian team for the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, set to begin on November 22. This sparked speculation about his availability for the initial matches.
During a pre-departure press conference, head coach Gautam Gambhir stated, “At the moment, there’s no confirmation. Hopefully, he will be available. We’ll let you know.” If Rohit misses the first match, vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah is expected to take over as captain.
Rohit’s absence also raises the question of who will open the batting, with Abhimanyu Easwaran and KL Rahul being potential candidates already in Australia.
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy series opener is highly anticipated, with fans eager to see how the Indian team adjusts to these developments.
