Giant search ends in tragedy

The hope of rescuing late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YSR Reddy got the government to put every agency and every force on the job.

The dense forests or rain, nothing stopped rescue workers from working all night.

But as the body of late Andhra CM YSR Reddy was recovered, it was a tragic end to a search operation that was underway all night long in Kurnool and Atmakoor. Night search equipments were used in these operations.

The first confirmation came at 8:42 am when an Army chopper spotted the wreckage of YSR's chopper and dropped a piece of paper with the coordinates for the ground crew to get to the area.

The 24-hour search that went on all night led the crew to the Rudrakot hill, around 10 km from Atmakur.

At the Air Force command center at Kurnool the search operations intensified. But it was a difficult mission as the mangled wreckage was sighted in a remote area of the Nalla mala forest. The thick jungles and bad weather made it impossible to land there.

Finally, ground and air teams reached the spot. But what they found was everyone's worst nightmare -- the choppers was in bits and pieces, except tail piece.

Commandoes initially located three bodies. Since it was an extremely hostile terrain the other two bodies were found later.

"It looks like Helicopter hit the place and then burst into several pieces," AP Chief Secretary Ramakant Reddy said.

The bodies were brought back to the Kurnool by the Air Force. It was perhaps the largest search operations in recent times.

Nothing was spared. Apart from Sukhoi 30 fighter jets with special radar capabilities, thermal imaging and night detection capabilities, ISRO's low flying aircraft, ground troops and the latest hi-tech boats were also pressed into action.