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Funeral held for India politician | |
(about 9 hours later) | |
Thousands of mourners from across southern India have paid their respects to the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh state who died on Wednesday. | |
YS Rajasekhara Reddy and four others were killed in a helicopter crash. | |
People sobbed in the streets and broke through police barricades to get a final glimpse of the coffin. | |
Mr Reddy was a popular politician from the Congress party who championed social welfare causes. He recently won a second term in state elections. | |
After a state funeral Mr Reddy's body was buried at his family estate. | |
Earlier in the state capital of Hyderabad, thousands of people amassed in a sports stadium to pay their respects after Mr Reddy's body was taken through the city in a procession. | |
Among the mourners was Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress party chief, Sonia Gandhi. | Among the mourners was Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress party chief, Sonia Gandhi. |
Crowds shouted slogans of "Long Live YSR", the Reuters news agency reported. | |
Schools and offices closed down and flags flew at half mast across the state. | |
Investigation The Congress party has appointed his low-profile finance minister K Rosaiah as his successor, but finding a permanent replacement will be difficult, our correspondent says. | |
BISWAS BLOG It is not the first time that such hysteria has been seen in India Soutik Biswas's India | |
But there have already been demands that Mr Reddy's son, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, should be appointed as the new chief minister. | |
The state government has announced a week-long mourning period during which the national flag will be flown at half mast, and no "official" entertainment programmes will be organised. | The state government has announced a week-long mourning period during which the national flag will be flown at half mast, and no "official" entertainment programmes will be organised. |
Officials said an investigation has been launched into the cause of the helicopter crash. | |
Thursday's discovery of the helicopter on a hill some 70km (43 miles) east of Kurnool followed a massive search and rescue operation launched by the state government. |