Prez convoy vehicle falls into gorge
Darjeeling, July 15: An SUV in President Pranab Mukherjee’s motorcade skidded off the road and fell into a 100- feet gorge near here on Friday, injuring six people, including an IB officer.
The accident happened while the vehicle was negotiating a bend, ADG ( law and order) Anuj Sharma said, adding all the six security personnel were rescued after a 45- minute operation and admitted to hospital.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Mr Mukherjee to enquire about his wellbeing immediately after learning about the accident. The rescue operation was supervised by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee whose cavalcade was following the President’s convoy.
As the rescue operation continued, Ms Banerjee took a megaphone and called out to those who had fallen into the gorge to trace their location.
A car in President Pranab Mukherjee’s convoy plunged into a gorge on way to Bagdogra from Darjeeling, leaving six security personnel, including an IPS officer, injured on Friday morning. The President did not suffer any injuries, but his car stopped for some time at a tourist lodge in Kurseong soon after accident.
The six injured security personnel were quickly rescued by the Army and police personnel as West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who was also travelling in the same convoy, stopped her car and led the rescue effort. The President tweeted, “Car in President’s carcade from Darjeeling to Bagdogra goes off road, minor injuries to security personnel; # PresidentMukherjee safe.”
Ms Banerjee spoke to the President over the phone. “Dada, please do not worry. All of them are alive. One of them has been recused with the help of rope. There are five more who are yet to be rescued. We are trying our best to rescue them. The car fell in a deep gorge,” she was heard telling the President.
The President later tweeted, “Unfortunate accident involving escort vehicle in convoy en route to Bagdogra today; everybody well by grace of God # PresidentMukherjee.”
The accident took place at Sonada near Kurseong, around 16 kilometres away from Darjeeling, at 10.30 am when Mr Mukherjee, along with his son Abhijit, a Congress MP and daughter Sharmistha, was on his