AP CHIEF MINISTER(Y S RAJASEKHARA REDDY) FOUND AT KURNOOL

Andhra pradesh chief minister Y S Rajasekhara reddy is missing from the morning along with his chopper(helicopter). A helicopter carrying Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy was on Wednesday missing an hour after it took off from old Begumpet airport at 8.35am, raising fears about his safety. Chief minister’s principal secretary S. Subramanyam and chief security officer A. S. C. Wesley and two pilots were also on board the twin-engined government helicopter that lost contact at 9.35am when it was headed for Chitoor district, over 600kms from here.

At least four helicopters, including three belonging to the Air Force, have been pressed into search operations but no contact has been established. There is no information of the Bell 430 helicopter, having landed anywhere, finance minister K. Rosaiah told a press conference here. While he expressed hope that the chief minister could be safe, state chief secretary P. Ramakanth Reddy said it could be possible that the helicopter could have landed in an unfamiliar area from where getting out could be difficult. “So far we have not been able to make any contact. It is possible because of strong winds and inclement weather, it may have landed in an unfamiliar area from where getting out can be difficult. Time we have before sunset is limited and it is raining heavily,” he said.

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.Even though the area is not Naxal-affected but there is panic as the officials have not been unable to contact Reddy. Bad weather is also hampering the rescue mission. The Defence Ministry has also deployed an unmanned aerial vehicle for tracking the Chief Minister. Andhra Pradesh has also asked the Centre for all-weather helicopters for search operations during the night. Meanwhile, in a startling revelation a Director General of Civil Aviation report has claimed that Reddy's Bell 430 helicopter was not air worthy.

Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister K Rosaiah said that there has been no information of the Bell 430 helicopter having landed anywhere while addressing a press conference in Hyderabad. While he expressed hope that the Chief Minister could be safe, state Chief Secretary P Ramakanth Reddy said it could be possible that the helicopter could have landed in an unfamiliar area from where getting out could be difficult. The IAF has, meanwhile, pressed into service four helicopters to search for the missing chopper.

Two chetaks, one MI8 chopper and a Dhruv advanced light helicopter have taken off from Bengaluru to trace the chief minister’s chopper, said a spokesman of the Indian Air Force. "There has been no contact established with the helicopter," sources in the ministry said.They said the situation was being monitored by Home Minister P Chidambaram and top officials who are in touch with Andhra Pradesh government officials. CM and others are expected to have landed at the jungle areas in kurnool