5 including andhra CM killed in helicopter crash.

[indian_blues]

There are contradictory reports on Andhra Chief Minister Y S Reddy and his helicopter, which went missing on Wednesday morning.

Home Ministry sources said there had been no contact yet with the CM or his pilot. This contradicts the Andhra Police chief, who said the chief minister had landed safely in Andhra's Kurnool district.

Civil Aviation sources too said he was safe.

Apart from YS Reddy and two pilots, the CM's chief security officer and a senior IAS officer were also on board the helicopter.

The Chief Minister took off at 8.30 am from Kurnool. He was headed to Chittoor for an official function and was scheduled to land at 10.45 am. It has been raining very heavily in Andhra Pradesh.

Earlier this afternoon, there were reports that the CM had landed in a forest 45 minutes from Kurnool town. The Andhra government at that time said it did not want to give details on the location of the landing because this is an area where Naxals are very active.

Andhra CM and chopper yet to be traced

naxals kidnapped YSR?

 

[indian_blues]

No trace of Andhra Chief Minister, security agencies in a tizzy

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy has gone missing while on his way from Karnool to Chittoor.

The Chief Minister was supposed to land at 1045 hrs IST in Chitoor. But due to bad weather Reddy’s helicopter made an emergency landing at Pamulapadu in Kurnool district.

Officials said that Reddy's helicopter could have landed in Pamulapadu at about 1230 hrs IST.

The helicopter lost contact with Air Traffic Controller at the Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad 1013 hrs IST and since then there has not been any contact with the Chief Minister.

Reddy had taken off in a helicopter from Hyderabad at 0845 hrs IST.

Kurnool Superintendent of Police said that they have not been able to locate the Chief Minister so far. He said that Pamulapadu, Banakacherla and Karivena areas in the districts have been searched but the Chief Minister could not be traced.

He added that a police team under Deputy Superintendent of Police Venkatnarayna is searching Atmakur taluk. The SP and other senior district officials have already reached the spot where the helicopter landed.

Due to bad mobile connectivity and the area being heavily forested, officials have so far failed to make any contact with the Chief Minister sending security agencies into a tizzy.

Four Army helicopters have been pressed into service to locate Reddy. While three helicopters have been brought in from Bangalore, one of the helicopter has been sent from Hyderabad.

Even though the area is not Naxal-affected but there was panic as the officials have not been unable to contact Reddy.

While some sources claimed that Reddy had been traced and taken to Kurnool guest house after a four-hour frantic search involving Army helicopters and security agencies but there has been no official confirmation of it.

No trace of Andhra Chief Minister, security agencies in a tizzy

 

[1.44]

The Army has been called in for the search.One of the Channels an hour or two ago said his helicopter had landed safely.

naxals kidnapped YSR?

In-flight?

 

[NSG_Blackcats]

2 Army chopper and one private chopper are engaged in search operation. There are contradicting report about whether the CM chopper has landed or not.

 

[indian_blues]

The Army has been called in for the search.One of the Channels an hour or two ago said his helicopter had landed safely.



In-flight?

No, the govt itself said they doesn't wanted to provide information becoz the CM had landed in naxal active area, probably he was kidnapped after landing. Who knows?

 

[I-G]

Indian Air Force joins search for YSR's missing chopper
IANS 2 September 2009, 05:08pm IST


NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Wednesday afternoon joined the search for a missing helicopter carrying Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, pressing four choppers into service, an official said.

"We have deployed four helicopters for the rescue mission. They include two Chetaks, besides one Mi-8 and one ALH (advanced light helicopter)," an IAF spokesman here said.

Addressing a press conference in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary Ramakant Reddy said the chief minister remains untraced after his helicopter went missing amid bad weather Wednesday morning.

He said the government had not been in touch with the chief minister since 9.45 a.m.

"So far we have not been able to get any confirmation (about the chief minister)," he said.

"It is possible that because of the strong winds and heavy rains, it may have landed in some unfamiliar area," he said.

"If you land in an unfamiliar forest area, getting out will be very difficult," he added.

YSR, as the chief minister is known, Wednesday morning took off in the helicopter from Hyderabad. It went off the radar amid inclement weather.

Indian Air Force joins search for YSR's missing chopper - India - NEWS - The Times of India

 

[ahmedsid]

Heard on a news channel that the SU30MKI is also being called in to help.

 

[Pintu]

Andhra government plunged into crisis- Politics/Nation-News-The Economic Times

Andhra government plunged into crisis
2 Sep 2009, 1912 hrs IST, IANS

HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh government was plunged into crisis as Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy remained untraced even nine hours since his helicopter went missing in a forested Maoist stronghold Wednesday morning.

As darkness closed in and army choppers called off their search operations over Kurnool and adjoining districts, the administration, led by veteran Congress leader and Finance Minister Minister K. Rosaiah, was trying to grapple with the crisis.

Rosaiah is leading the efforts to coordinate search operations with the central government. He is in touch with the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) as well as the defence ministry.

He was amongst the first to rush to the chief minister's office in the secretariat. He held an emergency meeting of ministers and top officials.

Home Minister P. Sabita Indra Reddy, whom YSR considers his younger sister, Chief Secretary P. Ramakant Reddy, Director General of Police S.S.P. Yadav and YSR's friend and Rajya Sabha member K.V.P. Ramchandra Rao were among those who attended the meeting.

The crisis has hit the state only four months after YSR retained power to return as chief minister for the second time.

 

[Pintu]

Panic, anxiety grips YSR's followers - India - NEWS - The Times of India

Panic, anxiety grips YSR's followers
IANS 2 September 2009, 05:47pm IST

HYDERABAD: With panic and anxiety writ large on their faces, hundreds of Congress party workers gathered at the state secretariat here waiting to hear some news about the whereabouts and safety of chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, who remained untraced since his chopper went missing Wednesday morning.

State ministers, top bureaucrats, a large number of state employees, ruling party leaders and workers descended at the secretariat, the seat of government, as the word spread that the chief minister remained untraced even eight hours after his chopper lost contact with the air traffic control.

With prayers on their lips, the Congress leaders and admirers of YSR, as the chief minister is popularly known, stood outside the D block in the secretariat, which houses the Chief Minister's Office.

They were raising slogans "Long live YSR" as the security personnel had a tough time controlling the crowd.

There was some relief when state ministers told reporters that the chief minister was safe and his chopper had landed somewhere.

There were also reports on Sakshi television channel owned by the chief minister's son Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy that YSR was safe and spoke to his close aide K.V.P. Ramchandra Rao.

The channel also claimed that the chief minister would be reaching Hyderabad in an army helicopter any moment.

However, minutes later finance minister K.Rosaiah told reporters at the secretariat that the chief minister remained untraced.

He only hoped that the chopper had landed in some forest area and appealed to people to help trace it.

"We are worried after what Rosaiah said. We were earlier happy that the chief minister is safe. We are now praying to god," said Sudhakar Reddy, a Youth Congress leader.

Another Congress supporter said: "I am confident that he is safe. He is people's man. He did a lot for the welfare of people. Nothing will happen to him."

At Gandhi Bhavan, the headquarters of the ruling Congress, a large number of women workers were seen praying for the safety of their leader.

Hundreds of others gathered outside the chief minister's camp office in Begumpet bringing the traffic to a halt in the busy area.

 

[Pintu]

Helicopter Search called off ....

http://www.ptinews.com/news/261610_Fingers-crossed-on-YSR-s-fate

A file photo of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S
Rajasekhara Reddy. PTI Photo


Fingers crossed on YSR's fate; Helicopter search called off

STAFF WRITER 18:56 HRS IST

New Delhi, Sep 2 (PTI) The search operations by helicopters for locating Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy has been called off because of light and weather conditions and will resume tomorrow morning, Home Minister P Chidambaram said here today.

"There is no good news yet. We are keeping our fingers crossed. Our prayers are with Rajasekhara Reddy and his family," he told reporters more than nine hours after the helicopter lost the contact with the ATC at 9:35 AM.

The search has been stopped for the time being because of weather and light conditions. Tomorrow in the first light of the day, helicopters will continue the search, he said.

However, Chidambaram said the search on foot by forest and revenue officials was on around the point where they think the helicopter was last seen. Police and CRPF personnel were also moving on foot.

 

[tharikiran]

yup, Sukhoi's have been pressed into service. An ISRO aircraft has been sent too.
5000 personnel have been mobilized for the search operation. The chances look bleak.

Interesting to see if Sukhoi radars do the job.They are going to operate all night.

 

[Pintu]

Yes, Hari , Army sends commando, Sify link:

Sonia calls YSR's wife, Army sends in 500 commandos for search

Regards

 

[Flint]

So I'm assuming that the chopper crashed ?

 

[Pintu]

It is the worst fate Flint, I pray for his safety.

Regards

 

[K Factor]

I fear the worst.
But still, keeping my fingers crossed, as miracles HAVE happened in the past.

 

[NSG_Blackcats]

IAF deploys Sukhoi jet to locate YSR's chopper

 

[K Factor]

Whas it this?
Missing chopper was not airworthy: Sources - India - NEWS - The Times of India

Or could the Naxals have managed to get their hands on some MANPADs?

 

[Dark Sorrow]

yup, Sukhoi's have been pressed into service. An ISRO aircraft has been sent too.
5000 personnel have been mobilized for the search operation. The chances look bleak.

Interesting to see if Sukhoi radars do the job.They are going to operate all night.

How about RISAT-2?

 

[tharikiran]

How about RISAT-2?

I know remote sensing is being done. Other news is snaps will be available only tomorrow morning as satellite will be passing over then.

You are right why isn't RISAT being used ??

 

[jaganpjames]

all the available technologies in the country are being used, even US have agreed to provide all help.

But the situation is not encouraging.. and the situation on the ground is also getting deteriorated.. people are getting immotional.. already started the blaming the government in place in delaying the request to airforce get the best of equipments for search ..