Prime Minister’s meeting in the National Capital confirmed the death of the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister in a chopper crash. Five bodies have been found near the site. All confirmed dead. YSR Reddy along with the pilot captain SK Bhatia, Co-pilot MS Reddy, Principal Secretary, S. Subramaniyam and the chief security officer A S C Wesley declared dead.
The Prime Minister along with Sonia Gandhi to go to Hyderabad, sources revealed. The Home Minister, P Chidambaram, to brief the media soon.
The chopper carrying five persons in total including the CM, Mr. Reddy’s went missing and then located on Rudrakonda hill in the dense Nallamalla forests at a distance of 40 nautical miles east of Kurnool town. Mangled chopper was then hounded.
The 11-year-old Bell 430 helicopter had lost radio contact one hour after it took off from the old Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad at 0835 hrs on Wednesday. The chopper took off 0845hrs on Wednesday bound for the village of Anupally in Chittoor district.
YSR Reddy was an influential politician from the Congress party. Mr. Reddy was on his way to launch another mass contact programme when the helicopter carrying him disappeared in the dense Nallamalla forests. He won four assemblies and four Lok Sabha elections form Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh. The chopper went down in bad weather.
Army commandos recovered the dead bodies of all the five people. This would be India’s biggest ever rescue and search operation for a VIP.
As the sad news broke, there was bereavement at YSR Reddy’s residence. The family is
in a state of shock and disbelief.
Mrs. Sonia Gandhi is constantly in touch with the family members of Mr. Reddy and others who died in the crash.
Congress Party mourns over the death of one of its most influential politician. It is termed as a great loss to the party.
Minister K. Rosaiah, named caretaker CM.Congress Working Committee meeting to be held today in the evening.
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