Castro fall: Broken arm, knee

2004-10-21 15:34

Havana - Cuban President Fidel Castro broke his left knee and his right arm after a fall late on Wednesday, a government statement said on Thursday.

"The medical exam confirmed what the Commander in Chief himself anticipated, that after his accidental fall at yesterday's ceremony there is a fracture in his left knee and a fissure in the upper part of the humerus of the right arm, which will be treated appropriately," it added.

It also underscored that Castro, 78, "is in a good general state of health and his spirits are excellent."

Television cameras captured the entire incident when the communist leader stumbled as he was descending a flight of stairs and fell on his side following a speech before graduates of an art school in Santa Clara, a city 280km east of Havana.

But he quickly got up with the help of his bodyguards and, sitting on a chair, hastened to assure the audience he remained in control and full of enthusiasm.

"Please excuse me for having fallen," Castro smiled, who was clad in his trademark olive uniform.

"Just so no one speculates, I may have a fracture in my knee and maybe one in my arm," he continued. "But I remain in one piece."

The audience, which gasped as it watched him fall, responded with cheers and thunderous applause.

The Cuban government, still in Cold War mode because of hostile relations with the neighbouring United States, normally treats the medical condition of its leader as a state secret.

- AFP