An Indian Air Force An-32 military transport plane has lost contact with ground control, officials confirmed. The turboprop machine is said to be carrying 13 people.

The aircraft went missing an hour after take-off from an airbase in northeastern India. It was headed for a landing ground in Mechuka Valley, which is close to the Indian-Chinese border.

“Since the aircraft did not reach the airfield, overdue action was initiated by IAF,” an Indian Air Force official told local media.

Indian Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh later confirmed the incident on Twitter, offering his prayers for the safety of the passengers.

Spoke to Vice Chief of @IAF_MCC, Air Marshal Rakesh Singh Bhadauria regarding the missing IAF AN-32 Aircraft which is overdue for some hours. He has apprised me of the steps taken by the IAF to find the missing aircraft. I pray for the safety of all passengers on board. — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) June 3, 2019

The twin-engine turboprop, Antonov An-32, is a military transport aircraft developed in the Soviet Union. It conducted its first flight back in 1976 and is viewed as the IAF's “workhorse.”

In 2016, a plane of this type disappeared over the Bay of Bengal with 29 people on board. The aircraft was never found.