Chandy escapes unhurt in mishap

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy escaped unhurt after the car in which he was travelling skidded and fell into a small road-side drain in the district in the wee hours of today.

The accident occurred at about 2:45 AM at Kanakari in Vaikom-Ettumanoor road when the Chief Minister was on his way to his home town Puthuppally in the district, after attending the function of President Pranab Mukherjee at Kozhikode yesterday.

The Chief Minister's gunman, who was sitting in the front, suffered minor injuries and was treated by the doctors at the guest house here, officials said.

The exact reason for the accident was 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 in Puthuppally, Chandy said that he escaped without injury as he was wearing a seat belt.

Chandy as usual went to the Church in his village in the morning and offered prayers. Chandy, who visits his constituency on Sundays if there is no other important engagement, also met locals and heard their grievances, official at the Chief Minister's office at Thiruvananthapuram said.