DHAKA: The Indian ministry of defense said that four aircraft and twelve ships have been deployed to search for the missing military plane that went missing over the Bay of Bengal with more than 20 people on board.

The Antonov-32 transporter aircraft took off from Chennai (Madras) at 08:30 local time, bound for Port Blair in the eastern archipelago of Andaman and Nicobar. It was scheduled to land at 11:30.

The IAF operates more than 100 Antonov-32 aircraft, BBC reports on Friday (July 22).

A navy spokesman told that the surveillance planes and ships were looking for the missing aircraft, which was carrying service personnel to strategic islands near the Malacca Straits, where India has a military base.

India's ministry of defense initially deployed two airplanes and four ships to look for the missing aircraft.

Eight more warships have now joined the search.

BDST: 1823 HRS, July 22, 2016
SAS/AKA