Mountaineer gets jewels he found from debris of Air India's crashed plane
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These precious stones are not the only treasure found from these crashed airplanes. In September 2012, Indian government had was handed a bag of diplomatic mail that was found in the 1966 flight
A mountaineer has finally received his share of reward for the treasure he found eight years ago from the debris of two Indian planes that had crashed into Mont Blanc in 1950 and in 1966.
The treasure, including emeralds, rubies and sapphires, had remained hidden in a metal box that was onboard one of the two Air India planes that had crashed into Mont Blanc in 1950 and then in 1966.
Since the crash, mountaineers have often discovered baggage, debris, papers and sometimes human remains too from the two crashed Air India flights. This mountaineer stumbled upon a metal box in 2013 and realised there were precious stones in the box.
Experts believe these stones were onboard the 1966 flight which was taking nearly 117 passengers from Mumbai to New York. The flight, Boeing 707, had crashed on the south-west side of Mont Blanc on January 24, 1966. All 117 people onboard, including India's nuclear programme expert, Homi Jehangir Bhabha, were killed in this crash.
When the mountaineer found these precious stones, he informed the authorities and claims he does not "regret having been honest". Now, eight years after his find, he was told that the treasure will finally be shared with him this year.
"The stones have been shared this week" in two equal lots valued at about €150,000 ($169,000) each, the mayor of Chamonix, Eric Fournier, said.
These precious stones are not the only treasure found from these crashed airplanes. In September 2012, Indian government had was handed a bag of diplomatic mail that was found in the 1966 flight.
In 2020, when the ice was melting from Mont Blanc's Bossons glacier, copies of Indian newspapers with headlines about Indira Gandhi becoming the prime minister of India were also spotted.
(With inputs from agencies)
