Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had a providential escape when his helicopter was caught in a raging storm and was forced to make emergency landing at Sonbarsa Raj in Saharsa district today.
The incident occurred after the helicopter took off from Sonbarsa Raj, where he had gone to address an election rally, to fly to Madhepura to address another public meeting this afternoon, Saharsa SP Sunil Kumar Nayak said.
"The storm continued for almost an hour from 4.30 pm to 5.30 pm. It started after the chief minister had left the rally venue. The helicopter in which he was flying to Madhepura was trapped in the storm. The pilot somehow managed to make emergency landing at the place he flew from," Nayak said.
The strong and multi-directional winds made the helicopter sway and swerve for several minutes before it could land safely. Kumar and his co-fliers escaped unhurt from the ordeal, police said.
"The chief minister and members of his entourage left Saharsa via road to Madhepura where he had another engagement," Nayak said.
Kumar is currently campaigning in Madhepura, Darbhanga, Jhanjharpur, Madhubani, Samastipur (SC), Begusarai and Khagaria constituencies which are going to polls in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections in Bihar on April 30.
The helicopter of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) President Ram Vilas Paswan was also trapped in a similar storm when he was flying over Darbhanga district this afternoon.
The pilot of the helicopter managed to make an emergency landing at Manigachhi block headquarters in Darbhanga district without losing much time, police said.
Paswan today flew to Begusarai, Khagaria, Madhubani and Darbhanga to address public meetings during the course of his election campaign