India’s 11th President APJ Abdul Kalam died at a hospital in Shillong on Monday evening.
APJ Abdul Kalam collapsed while delivering a lecture at IIM-Shillong.
File photo of former President APJ Abdul Kalam (Associated Press photo)
The former President, who was in office from 2002 to 2007, had collapsed during the lecture at the Indian Institute of Management, Shillong, around 6.30 pm. He was taken to the Bethany hospital. Doctors said he had suffered from a massive cardiac arrest.
“President Kalam was brought to the hospital at 7 pm. When he brought in there was no sign of life. He was taken to ICU to try and revive him, which was futile,” hospital sources said.
The government has declared a seven-day national mourning.
Paying a special tribute to Dr Kalam later in the evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “My mind is filled with so many memories, so many interactions with him. Always marvelled at his intellect, learnt so much from him.”
(Inputs from ndtv.com)