Chennai, July 31

There is no stepping down of search operations for the Indian Air Force AN-32 plane with 29 people on board that went missing on July 22, despite no signs of debris or oil slick on the sea surface, a senior Indian Coast Guard officer said on Sunday.“Whether it is the Coast Guard or Indian Navy or IAF, the search operations have not been slowed or stepped down,” the officer, who did not want to be named, said.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)He said now hopes are pinned on the Sagar Nidhi vessel belonging to the National Institute of Ocean Technology that is expected to join search operations soon.The ship has the capacity to search under water and is expected to join search operations on August 2 or 3.The plane went missing shortly after taking off from Chennai for Port Blair. Its last pick-up was 151 nautical miles east of Chennai when it took a left turn with a rapid loss of height. — IANS