Indore, Feb 21 (IANS): Senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath had a narrow escape after a lift he boarded at a hospital here on Sunday suddenly came crashing down.

The incident happened as Kamal Nath, who is also the state party chief, and other Congress leaders were in the DNS Hospital to visit ailing party leader Rameshwar Patel.

"Former Chief Minister Kamal Nath and other party leaders had gone to DNS Hospital to inquire about the condition of Rameshwar Patel. They had boarded the lift when it crashed down around 10 feet and was engulfed with dust and smoke. The lift doors got automatically locked and it took 10-15 minutes before instruments were found to open the lift's doors," Kamal Nath's media coordinator Narendra Saluja said.

Kamal Nath and all the other leaders were safe, he said, however, adding that the incident was a grave security lapse. Those hospital administration must take a stern view of the issue and those responsible must be punished.

Those accompanying Kamal Nath included former ministers Sajjan Verma and Jitu Patwari, MLA Vishal Patel and city Congress chief Vivek Bakliwal and security personnel.

Tweeting after the incident, Kamal Nath said: "Hanumanji ji ki kripa sada se rahi hai... Jai Hanuman (the grace of Lord Hanuman has always been with me... Praise to Lord Hanuman."