President's convoy skids off road;5 injured

A vehicle from President Pranab Mukherjee's convoy skidded off the road on Friday morning and went down a cliff, while he was on his way to Bagdogra to catch a flight to Delhi. In this accident five people were injured. His Press Secretary Venu Rajamony said that the President is safe. The accident happened near, which is 30 kms away from Darjeeling. Police sources said, the third vehicle in the Presidential convoy slipped off the road and fell down.

The Chief Minister of West Bengal who was also travelling along with the President to Delhi to attend the Interstate council meeting on Saturday was also there in the convoy. And she herself was supervising the rescue operation in which army personnel along with those working in the Presidential Secretariat were engaged. Member Parliament and the President's son Abhijeet Mukherjee also assisted in the rescue operation. Heavy rains and thick fog had led the President to take a road trip on his return leg as Indian Air Force helicopters could not operate.