Former Indian president Abdul Kalam passes away
Dr APJ Abdul Kalam died apparently of a cardiac arrest in Shillong
India's 11th President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. PHOTO: AFP
Former Indian President Abdul Kalam passed away at a private hospital in Meghalaya on Monday evening, Press Trust of India reported.
According to NDTV, India’s 11th president had been admitted to the intensive care unit of a private hospital in Shillong, Meghalaya in critical condition.
He had collapsed at the Indian Institute of Management-Shillong while delivering a lecture to students of the B-school.
"He is in the Intensive Care Unit. We are examining him. We suspect that it could be cardiac arrest," John Sailo Ryntathiang, director of Bethany Hospital, told IANS.
However, there was no immediate official word on the exact cause of his death.
Dr Kalam, 83, had served as the 11th President on India from 2002 to 2007. The government announced seven days mourning for him.
He is expected to be buried in his native Rameshwaram.
Later, his twitter account was converted into a memorial.
Indian premier Narendra Modi noted that Kalam's death was a great loss to the nation.
An acclaimed nuclear scientist and author, Kalam was known as the "people's president" during his time in office and continued to reach out to young people with his scientific lectures after leaving office.
Home minister Rajnath Singh described him as "an inspiration to an entire generation" in a post on Twitter.
Born to a poor family of boatman in Rameswaram, a coastal town in southern Tamil Nadu state on October 15, 1931, Kalam sold newspapers as a child to help his family financially.
He rose through the ranks to become a top scientist at India's defence research organisation, where he worked for four decades helping to develop the country's home grown weapon's programme, earning him the moniker "India's missile man".
He also played a pivotal role in India's nuclear weapons tests in 1998.
After his presidential term, Kalam returned to academics and regularly delivered lectures at top Indian universities. He also published a best seller autobiography entitled "Wings of fire" in 1999.
Nawaz offers condolences
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday expressed his condolences on the demise of former Indian president Dr Kalam.
He commiserated with the bereaved family and the people of India.
According to NDTV, India’s 11th president had been admitted to the intensive care unit of a private hospital in Shillong, Meghalaya in critical condition.
He had collapsed at the Indian Institute of Management-Shillong while delivering a lecture to students of the B-school.
"He is in the Intensive Care Unit. We are examining him. We suspect that it could be cardiac arrest," John Sailo Ryntathiang, director of Bethany Hospital, told IANS.
However, there was no immediate official word on the exact cause of his death.
Dr Kalam, 83, had served as the 11th President on India from 2002 to 2007. The government announced seven days mourning for him.
He is expected to be buried in his native Rameshwaram.
Later, his twitter account was converted into a memorial.
Indian premier Narendra Modi noted that Kalam's death was a great loss to the nation.
An acclaimed nuclear scientist and author, Kalam was known as the "people's president" during his time in office and continued to reach out to young people with his scientific lectures after leaving office.
Home minister Rajnath Singh described him as "an inspiration to an entire generation" in a post on Twitter.
Born to a poor family of boatman in Rameswaram, a coastal town in southern Tamil Nadu state on October 15, 1931, Kalam sold newspapers as a child to help his family financially.
He rose through the ranks to become a top scientist at India's defence research organisation, where he worked for four decades helping to develop the country's home grown weapon's programme, earning him the moniker "India's missile man".
He also played a pivotal role in India's nuclear weapons tests in 1998.
After his presidential term, Kalam returned to academics and regularly delivered lectures at top Indian universities. He also published a best seller autobiography entitled "Wings of fire" in 1999.
Nawaz offers condolences
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday expressed his condolences on the demise of former Indian president Dr Kalam.
He commiserated with the bereaved family and the people of India.