The Chief minister of the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy has died in a chopper crash in the dense Nallamala forest, 70 kilometres from Kurnool on Wednesday. Dr.Reddy was on his way to Chittoor where he was scheduled to take part in an official programme.
The chopper carrying Dr. Reddy took off from Begumpet airport in the state capital city of Hyderabad, but lost contact with the ATC within an hour. Search operations have started almost immediately, but adverse weather and dense forest made the going tough. More than 5000 police and army personnel, ISRO, NASA and even tribals were pressed into service, and the wreckage was found nearly after 24 hours atop a hill. The bodies of Dr. Reddy and four others, including the pilot and copilot, were found charred and in a badly mutilated condition.
Dr. Reddy, belonging to the Congress party, is serving his second term as the Chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, after propelling the party to a thumping victory almost singlehandedly in the recent general elections.
His mortal remains were later flown down to Hyderabad, where there were displayed for the public to pay their last respects at his residence and also at Gandhi Bhavan, the party headquarters and at LB Stadium. He was later buried at his family estate at Idupulapaya in his native Kadapa district. The who's who of Indian polity, including the Prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi have flown down to Hyderabad to pay their respects. More than a million people have attended the procession in Hyderabad and his funeral at Idulupulapaya.
Hyderabad was virtually shut down for two days with even petrol bunks and ATMs being shut. More than a 100 people have either committed suicide or died of shock upon hearing the news of his death.
