Kerala CM Chandy escapes unhurt in road mishap in Kottayam

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had a providential escape on Sunday after his official car skidded and fell into a road-side drain in the district.

Though Chandy escaped unhurt, his gunman, seated in the front seat of the vehicle, suffered minor injuries. Chandy later said he was sleeping when the accident occurred and escaped unhurt as he was wearing a seat belt. 

The front portion of the car was damaged in the mishap which took place at about 2.45 AM at Kanakari on the Vaikom-Ettumanoor road in Kottayam, police said. Chandy was on his way to his home town Puthuppally in Kottayam after attending a function of President Pranab Mukherjee in Kozhikode district on Saturday. 

A team of doctors examined the chief minister at the government guest house at Nattakom. The gunman was given first aid. The chief minister later continued his journey in the escort vehicle to his hometown.

Police said the exact reason for the accident was yet to be ascertained. One version is that the tyre of the car got punctured and that led to the vehicle skidding into the drain.
Another version is that the car driver dozed off.

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