Shillong: The body of former president APJ Abdul Kalam, who died on Monday evening at Shillong in Meghalaya, was flown to New Delhi on Tuesday morning.

Meghalaya Governor V. Shanmughanathan, Home Minister Roshan Warjri, Assembly Speaker Abu Taher Mondal and Director General of Civil Defence and Home Guards R.K. Sharma accompanied Abdul Kalam’s body.

From Shillong, his body was carried by a special Indian Air Force helicopter to Guwahati airport and from there his body was flown to New Delhi on Indian Air Force aircraft.

The former president died at about Indian time7.45pm in a private hospital in Shillong after he collapsed while delivering a lecture on ‘Liveable Planet’ to students of the Indian Institute of Management, Shillong.

‘He was received in the emergency room and on arrival, Kalam showed no spontaneous respiration, no pulse, blood pressure was not recordable, pupils fixed and dilated. Intubation was done immediately and CPR started,’ hospital medical consultant A.M. Kharbamon said in the statement.

She said Kalam was shifted to the ICU immediately but could not be revived.

Meanwhile, the Meghalaya government has declared on Tuesday as a holiday in the state as a mark of respect to the former president.