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Indian politician's chopper missing in rebel area
[Iran Press TV Latest] A powerful Indian politician has gone missing during a helicopter flight in south of the country as rescue teams launched a massive search operation. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, the 60-year-old chief minister of Andhra Pradesh state went missing during a flight over a Maoist rebel stronghold on Wednesday. Air force helicopters rushed to the area to locate the aircraft carrying the politician who was accompanied by a bodyguard, two officials and a photographer. Reddy's helicopter took off on Wednesday morning from Hyderabad, the state capital. The aircraft lost contact with air traffic controllers in bad weather as it flew over forests where Maoist rebels are known to operate. It was unclear whether the helicopter had landed or crashed or in some remote forest region. Indian security agencies say they are worried about the chief minister's safety in the forested region largely controlled by rebels. Meanwhile, heavy rains are said to have hampered the rescue operation in the dense forest area. Reddy is among the most popular politicians from the Congress party that rules the South Asian country. Posted by: Fred 2009-09-03 |
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