2 Sep : The fate of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy remained uncertain tonight after a helicopter carrying him went missing over a dense forest area since Wednesday morning, prompting a continuing massive search operation.
The 60 year old Congress leader, who led the party to a remarkable victory in the recent Assembly and Lok Sabha polls, left Hyderabad for Chitoor at 8.35 AM in a twin-engined Bell helicopter which lost contact an hour later. There was no trace of the helicopter, which got lost in bad weather.
Amid fears that the helicopter may have force landed or crashed, the IAF’s Sukhoi 30MK1 aircraft with synthetic aperture radar for high resolution ground mapping even at night and a pilotless low-flying ISRO aircraft were scouring the thick Nallamalai forests in Kurnool district in the Rayalaseema region.
Throughout the day as many as seven helicopters searched the area but met with no success. In the evening, several thousand CRPF and other police personnel were deployed for a night-long ground search.
As hours passed by worries about the safety of the Chief Minister, his Principal Secretary Subramanyam, Chief Security Officer A S C Wesley and the two pilots mounted as no contact was established.
The most optimistic scenario was that the VVIP helicopter may have been forced to land and those on board may be stranded in the jungles, where Naxals could pose a lurking danger though.
The Andhra Pradesh government has sought Centre’s help to get US Defence Department help in securing real-time imagery as Indian efforts in this regard were poor due to heavy cloud formation.
Three Indian Air Force helicopters from Bangalore and a private chopper from Nellore scoured the area where the helicopter is believed to have gone missing. Two helicopters from Air Command in Secunderabad returned because of incessant rains.
State Chief Secretary P Ramakant Reddy told reporters that the helicopter was last seen by some people between Atmakur and Bandi Atmakur in Kurnool district before it went missing.
Asked whether the helicopter was air worthy and whether it had a proper certificate, he said this was not the time for such questions. The first priority is welfare of the Chief Minister and other things can come later.
In New Delhi, Home Minister P Chidambaram said the search operation by helicopters has been called off because of light and weather conditions and will resume tomorrow morning.
“There is no good news yet. We are keeping our fingers crossed. Our prayers are with Rajasekhara Reddy and his family,” he told reporters.
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. They would reach there in an hour or so.
The helicopter, which took off from old Begumpet airport at 8.35 AM and lost radio contact at 9.35 AM, was heading for Chitoor district, over 600 kilometres from Hyderabad in the Southwestern end of the state, where he was to attend some functions.
The helicopter was crossing the Nallamalai forests towards Ongole in Prakasam district and the pilot may have encountered high-speed winds and inclement weather, the Chief Secretary said.
He said the special anti-naxalite force Grey Hounds and the Andhra Pradesh Special Police battalions were being sent to the forest area for joining the search operation.
The Chief Secretary said there was no satellite telephone in the helicopter.
State Finance Minister K Rosaiah said President Pratibha Patil called from Moscow to enquire about the whereabouts of the Chief Minister as did Vice President Hamid Ansari from New Delhi.
The Prime Minister’s office was in hourly contact with the state government and Congress president Sonia Gandhi spoke to the Chief Minister’s wife. Rahul Gandhi is also in touch with the Chief Minister’s son, who is an MP.
Gandhi deputed Law Minister M Verappa Moily and Minister of State in the PMO Prthiviraj Chavan to Hyderabad to monitor the search and rescue operation.
The missing helicopter: timeline
Following is a brief timeline of the helicopter carrying the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy that went missing on Wednesday.
08:35 AM: A Twin-engine Bell 430 Andhra Pradesh Government helicopter carrying the Chief Minister takes off from the old Begumpet airport.
The helicopter, also carrying Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary S Subramanyam and Chief Security Officer A. S. C. Wesley, heads for Chitoor district.
09:35 AM: The helicopter, flown by two pilots, loses contact while possibly flying over Nallamala forest ranges, a stronghold of the naxalites, in the Rayalaseema region.
The Prime Minister’s Office, the Union Home Ministry and the Defence Ministry are alerted. The Office of the Congress President, Sonia Gandhi, is in touch with the State government.
Four helicopters, including three belonging to the Indian Air Force launch search operations, but no contact established because of strong winds and inclement weather.
Two helicopters from the Hakimpet air command in Secunderabad return because of inclement weather, while three from the Bangalore air command and one private helicopter from Nellore were involved in search operations.
An unmanned aerial vehicle from the Defence Ministry also pressed into service.
04:00 PM: The Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister, K. Rosaiah, at a press conference says there is no word on the Chief Minister.
Time for carrying out search operations running out as sunset approaches.
Home Minister P Chidambaram monitoring the situation from New Delhi.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi expresses concern over the disappearance of the helicopter and monitors the developments.
06.40 PM: Helicopter search stopped for the time being because of light and weather conditions: Union Home Minister, P. Chidambaram
“There is no good news yet. We are keeping our fingers crossed” – Mr. Chidambaram
06.52: IAF presses into service Su-30MKI fighter aircraft with synthetic aperture radar for high resolution ground mapping in and around Kurnool to locate the missing helicopter.