E Ahamed suffers fracture to heel

Dubai, Apr 1 (UNI) Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed fractured his heel when he accidentally fell off stage at the Indian School in the Bahrain capital of Manama yesterday.

The minister, who was to leave for New Delhi immediately after the school function, was rushed to hospital, where an orthopaedic team found that he had a crack on the heel.

According to Ambassador Balakrishna Shetty, the situation would have been different had a Bahraini security guard not broken the minister's fall from a height of about five feet.

Apparently, Mr Ahamed failed to notice a small slope along the steps from the stage while he was getting down, and fell as he turned to respond to the cheering crowd, Bahrain Tribune reported.

Dr M K Munir, former Kerala Public Works Minister who was among the dignitaries, examined him immediately and suggested that he be shifted to hospital since he suspected a fracture after Mr Ahamed complained of pain in his leg.

The minister has been placed under observation at the hospital and is unlikely to be discharged for at least two to three days, hospital sources said.

The delay in the minister's departure for India could mean he would miss the SAARC summit scheduled to take place in New Delhi from April 3.

UNI