YSR’s body being flown to Hyderabad

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy,his Special Secretary P Subramanyam, Chief Security Officer A S C Wesley, pilot Group Captain S K Bhatia and co-pilot M S Reddy died in a helicopter crash  in the Nallamala Hills  on Wednesday. The chopper, Bell-430 carrying them  crashed  90 minutes after its take off  from Begumpet  airport.

The bodies of 60-year-old Reddy, who led his Congress party to a spectacular second consecutive victory in the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, P Subramanyam, A S C Wesley, S K Bhatia and M S Reddy were found on Rudrakonda Hill, 40 nautical miles east of  Kurnool , besides the mangled remains of the helicopter.

Two helicopters are pressed into service to airlift the  five bodies from the spot where the  chopper crashed.  The CM’s body is being flown to Hyderabad on Thursday.  The body will be  kept in state  at Lal Bahadur Stadium till Friday morning  for the people to pay  their homage. Later it will be flown to Pulivendala, his native  place  where the last rites will take place. 

The helicopter carrying the Andhra CM was located on Thursday morning on Rudrakonda hill, 40 nautical miles east of Kurnool, 24 hours after it went missing.

Helicopters, search parties and villagers conducted the search in pouring rain for a whole day and night in the forested hinterland for the wreckage, which was finally located about 40 nautical miles east of Kurnool town

The  six-seater 11-year-old Bell 430 helicopter with five on board had lost radio contact  90 minutes after it took off from Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad at 0835 hours on Wednesday.

 Finance Minister K Rosaiah was appointed as the caretaker Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.

Prime Minister Manmohan Sing and  UPA chair person Sonia Gandhi will reach  Hyderabad  by  3 p.m on Thursday.

Following the  tragedy, the Union Cabinet which was  scheduled to meet  in the day  was called off. 

Helicopters, search parties and villagers had conducted the search in pouring rain for a whole day and night in the forested hinterland for the wreckage, which was finally located about 40 nautical miles east of Kurnool town.