Nitin Gadkari escapes unhurt after a polythene sheet gets entangled in chopper blades in Haldia

KOLKATA: Union Shipping and Highway minister Nitin Gadkari had a close shave today after the rotors of his helicopter were stuck in the red carpet laid to welcome him in Haldia. The union minister had a difficult landing in Haldia, around 150 km away from Kolkata. The carpet and tarpaulin got entangled with the rotor blade of the helicopter.

Gadkari attended a programme organized by the Kolkata Port Trust in Haldia. After the incident, the minister posted in twitter, “All passengers on board helicopter to Haldia are safe. Really appreciate the concerns and well wishes expressed.”

The KoPT in a statement said, “The carpet at the helipad ground was laid as part of Guard of Honour. The carpet got dislodged from the ground due to sudden wind. There was no fault either on part of the arrangement or on the part of the pilot." Even though, the helicopter was fit to fly, Gadkari drove to the city to attend his scheduled programmes. According to sources, the standard operating procedure says that no loose item should be present near a helipad.