President A P J Abdul Kalam had a narrow escape when a portion of the ceiling of a room collapsed a few feet away from where he was standing during his visit to the Koodankulan nuclear plant.

A part of the ceiling came down on Friday when an airconditioner mechanic got on top of it in an attempt to switch on an AC unit, an official said.

Though the President was not scheduled to visit that particular area, the anti-sabotage squad should have checked the place, said the official, who did not want to be named.

"Of course it was an accident and the mechanic was taken for questioning. But the incident had taken place when senior officials were present," he said.

Departmental action would be taken against the deputy superintendent of police and inspector of Tirunelveli.

Besides, action would be taken against the police personnel responsible for anti-sabotage checks during Kalam's visit, the official said.

Earlier, there were reports that a few "unauthorised persons" entered the President's helicopter at Manonmaniam Sundaranar camp on September 22 and a doctor carrying a plastic razor in his pocket met Kalam the next day at Madurai Circuit House.