Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy escapes unhurt in mishap

KOTTAYAM: Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy escaped unhurt after the car in which he was travelling skidded and fell into a small road-side drain early on Sunday. The accident occurred at about 2:45am at Kanakari in Vaikom-Ettumanoor road when the chief minister was on his way to his home town Puthuppally in Kottayam district, after attending a function with President Pranab Mukherjee at Kozhikode a day before.

Chandy's gunman, who was sitting in the front, suffered minor injuries and was treated by the doctors at the guest house, officials said. The exact reason for the accident is yet to be ascertained.

One version is that the tyre of the car got punctured that led to the car skidding into the drain. Another version is that car driver dozed off. The chief minister continued his journey in the pilot vehicle to his hometowm, Officials said. Later talking to reporters who met him at his residence, Chandy said that he escaped without injury as he was wearing a seat belt.

Chandy later went to the Church in his village in the morning and offered prayers. Chandy, who usually visits his constituency on Sundays, also met locals and heard their grievances, official at the chief minister's office at Thiruvananthapuram said.