On 27 July 2015, Dr. Kalam travelled to Shillong to give a talk on “Creating a Liveable Planet Earth” at the Indian Institute of Management, Shillong. While he was climbing a flight of stairs, he experienced some discomfort, but he was able to enter the auditorium after a brief rest. At around 6:35 p.m. IST, only five minutes into his lecture, he collapsed. He was rushed to the Bethany Hospital which was nearby, in a critical condition; he lacked a pulse or any other signs of life upon arrival. Despite being placed in the intensive care unit, Kalam was confirmed dead of a sudden cardiac arrest at 7:45 p.m. His last words, to his aide Srijan Pal Singh, were reportedly: “Funny guy! Are you doing well?”
After his death, Kalam’s body was airlifted in an Indian Air Force helicopter from Shillong to Guwahati, from where it was flown to New Delhi on the morning of 28 July in an Air Force C-130J Hercules aircraft. The flight landed at Palam Air Base in the afternoon and was received by the president, the vice-president, the prime minister, chief minister of Delhi, and the three service chiefs of the Indian Armed Forces, who laid wreaths on Kalam’s body. His body was then placed on a gun carriage covered with the Indian flag and was taken to his Delhi residence at 10 Rajaji Marg. The public and numerous dignitaries then paid homage to the legend.
Picture Credit : Google
