West Bengal CM Mamata injured as chopper makes emergency landing

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was injured when the helicopter in which she was flying made an emergency landing at the Sevoke air base near Siliguri in the northern part of the state due to bad weather on Tuesday (June 27), officials said.

Mamata was injured on her waist and legs when she tried to deboard the chopper at the air base. She later returned to Kolkata by a flight from Bagdogra Airport. The chief minister, soon after reaching the city, was taken to the state-run SSKM Hospital where an MRI was conducted on her, the official said.

“The injuries do not appear to be serious. We are waiting for the MRI report,” a doctor said.

Several specialist doctors examined the chief minister, he added. The decision on whether Banerjee will require hospitalisation will be taken after seeing the reports, the official said.

Earlier, the pilot decided to make an emergency landing after the helicopter started “shaking terribly” when it ran into bad weather on the way to Bagdogra airport. Mamata, also the Trinamool Congress supremo, then travelled by road to reach the airport and took a flight back to the city.

The chief minister was returning to Kolkata after a two-day trip to northern districts of the state to campaign for the panchayat elections, scheduled on July 8.

Sources said Governor CV Ananda Bose telephoned Mamata and enquired about her health condition.

(With Agency reports)