KOLKATA: A senior city police officer was injured and hospitalised after a temporary arch, put up at Kolkata Police's Safe Drive Save Life Half Marathon on Red Road, accidentally fell on him on Sunday. Another woman accompanying her husband participating in the marathon was also injured but discharged after being administered first-aid.
Additional commissioner of Kolkata Police (I), Murli Dhar Sharma, received injuries on head and back when the arch near the finishing line fell on him probably because of the strong winds blowing since early morning, officers said.
"Everyone is safe and the officer is also doing fine. We are looking into it. Around 25,000 had registered for the marathon and almost everyone turned up," said police commissioner Vineet Goyal.
Sharma was on duty near the finishing line when the structure came down around 8.37 am. A video streamed on Kolkata Police's Facebook page captured the accident. It showed the structure first landing on Sharma's neck and then on his back as he fell on his knees and then on his chest. Sharma and the other injured woman were rushed to a nearby hospital in separate ambulances.
"Sharma's injuries will keep him in pain for at least two weeks. But there is no fracture or internal injury," said an official of Institute of Neurosciences, Kolkata.
Ex-Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, other sportspersons and celebrities participated at the event that started around 5.30 am. Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee also took part in the marathon.
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