File photo of Former President APJ Abdul Kalam
Shillong, July 27
Former President APJ Abdul Kalam, a popular head of state between 2002 and 2007, died on Monday after he suffered a cardiac arrest while delivering a lecture at Indian Institute of Management-Shillong.
Kalam (84) suffered a heart attack at around 6.30 pm and was taken to the hospital in Nongrim hills in the capital city of Meghalaya at around 7 pm, where he is in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
"The former President has been admitted to Bethany hospital in a critical condition," M Kharkrang, SP Khasi Hills said earlier.
“The former president was brought almost dead to our hospital. We tried to revive the patient," John Sailo Ryntathiang, director of Bethany Hospital, said. The hospital declared him dead at 7.45 pm.
Doctors from the army hospital and North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) rushed to Bethany hospital.
Governor V Shanmughanathan, Speaker Abu Taher Mondal, Home Minister Roshan Warjiri, the Chief Secretary and DGP Rajiv Mehta also went to the hospital immediately.
Chief Secretary PBO Warjiri told reporters outside the hospital that he had spoken to Union Home Secretary LC Goyal about arrangements to take Kalam's body from Guwahati to Delhi on Tuesday morning.
Government to declare national mourning for seven days, says Union Home Secretary LC Goyal. — Agencies
