Kalam body flown to New Delhi

The body of former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who died on Monday evening here in the capital of Meghalaya, was flown to New Delhi on Tuesday morning.

Meghalaya Governor V. Shanmughanathan, Home Minister Roshan Warjri, Assembly Speaker Abu Taher Mondal and Director General of Civil Defence and Home Guards R.K. Sharma accompanied Kalam's body.

From Shillong, his body was carried by a special Indian Air Force helicopter to Guwahati airport and from there his body was flown to New Delhi on Indian Air Force aircraft C-130.

The former president died at 7.45 p.m. on Monday in a private hospital here in Shillong after he collapsed while delivering a lecture on "Liveable Planet" to students of the Indian Institute of Managment-Shillong.

An official communique from Bethany Hospital said Kalam was brought to the hospital at 7 p.m.

"He was received in the emergency room and on arrival, Kalam showed no spontaneous respiration, no pulse, blood pressure was not recordable, pupils fixed and dilated. Intubation was done immediately and CPR started," hospital medical consultant A.M. Kharbamon said in the statement.

She said Kalam was shifted to the ICU immediately but could not be revived.

Meanwhile, the Meghalaya government has declared Tuesday as a holiday in the state as a mark of respect to the former president.