YSR is no more; five bodies found at crash site

The 25- hour search operation on the missing Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddi and the Chopper he was flying ended in a tragic note, with five bodies found near the crash site on the Seraiselam hills, 8 km off Rudrakonda in Kurnool district.

Congress sources said that the five bodies have been located by the Air commandos at the crash site at 11 am. The crashed aircraft was located by the scouring choppers at 8.25 am. The official announcement would be made after post mortem. The bodies were being flow to Hyderabad.

A pall of gloom descended in Hyderabad. There was a streak of hope until last minute, as a note about the location of the crash site penned by one of the survivors rolled to a soap cake was found thrown down the hills bordering the river running alongside. There seems to no survivors.

According to Air Commodore Sagar Bharathi, as soon as the crash site was located atop the hill 40 nautical miles east of Kurnool, two chopper were dispatched with commandos to be air dropped at the site. It is unfortunate they have found the dead bodies.

Saktchi TV a local media and Times Today were providing on the spot live coverage along with N TV. The media persons got collected at the base camp, zero point, at the foothills of Seraiselam, from where the hill top was only 2-3 kms. But it was inaccessible by vehicles. The rough terrain with slushy soil due to heavy rains hampered peoples venture up. Not minding these also many Congress men, forces and media persons rushed there to top of the hill.

Prime Minister Manmohan Sing was holding a cabinet meeting on the situation in Andhra Pradesh. All Congress leaders and Minister who monitoring the search operation are likely to rush to Hyderabad today.

- Asian Tribune -