A helicopter used for the election campaign by BJP MP and Bhojpuri actor Manoj Tiwari suddenly landed at Islampur on Monday afternoon without adequate safety measures.

According to reports, around 50 to 60 children were playing on the ground of the Islampur subdivisional court when the chopper descended. Startled by the sudden landing, the children ran to safety, during which some of them fell and sustained injuries.

Earlier in the day, Tiwari had reached the Raiganj stadium by helicopter and was scheduled to travel by road to Dalkhola before conducting a road show in Islampur.

According to the plan, the chopper was brought to the court ground to ferry him to his next destination.

However, at the time of landing, children were still playing on the ground.

Ashraf Ali, a boy, recounted the incident,

“The helicopter started hovering overhead and then suddenly started descending. We could not see because of the strong winds and dust, and panicked. We ran away to save ourselves amid chaos, and some of us fell and sustained injuries,” he said.

Police sources said no prior safety measures had been in place during the landing. Personnel from the police, fire services and other emergency services and ambulance weren't at the site either.

Upon receiving information, the Islampur police and central forces rushed to the spot and secured the area.

The incident has reportedly irked the police and the administration, which have decided to investigate the matter thoroughly and take action.

“A detailed investigation is underway, and appropriate legal action will be taken based on the findings,” said Rakesh Singh, the superintendent of police of the Islampur police district.

Tiwari didn't conduct the road show as announced. The reason for the cancellation isn't clear.

BJP leaders, however, spoke differently.

“All necessary permissions had been obtained, and details of the trip were shared with the administration. We don’t know why proper security arrangements were not in place at the site,” said Sandip Bhattacharya, a district BJP leader.

The helicopter that landed at 3.15pm departed for Bagdogra around 4.45pm, carrying Tiwari.