Operation still on to trace Andhra CM: Govt

Union Home Secretary G K Pillai on Thursday said that the missing Bell chopper carrying Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajshekhera Reddy and four others had crash-landed about 40 nautical miles east of the Kurnool mountainous area.

Pillai said that as of now he could not hazard a guess about whether there were any survivors or whether the chief minister and the people accompanying him were injured or had moved to another location.

He confirmed that the chopper was in a very damaged state.

The Home Ministry has ordered para-commandos to immediately airdrop themselves at the location to determine the exact physical status of Reddy and the four others. The para-commandos have landed.

The para-commandos have been told to report back immediately on the situation on ground.

“We have located the helicopter. It is on top of a hill at a distance of 40 nautical miles east of Kurnool. We are trying to find out whether there were any survivors. We are not sure whether the chopper crashed. Two Air Force helicopters are orbiting there trying to find a place to land, but because the chopper is on top of a hill, it’s a jungle it has been very difficult to land,” said an Army spokesperson adding that further details were awaited from the site.

The chopper is said to be located between Rudrakonta and Rollapenta near Kurnool town. Commandos, police and paratroopers are moving towards the area

Meanwhile, the core committee of the Congress party is meeting in New Delhi to assess the latest developments. The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, will convene a meeting of the Union Cabinet after the Congress meeting to decide on the next steps in the operation. (ANI).