Kochi:  A five-metre long iron rod, which had pierced the face of a 50-year-old man in a freak accident at an under-construction building in Kochi, was removed by surgeons at a private hospital.

The rod had penetrated almost five inches into his body and was only one centimetre away from the spinal cord, sources at KIMS hospital said.

The patient could have gone into coma or would have become paralysed if the rod had touched the spinal cord, they said.

The incident occurred on May 16 when a branch fell on a pile of rods on the ground floor. Under the impact, a rod flew up piercing the left cheek of the man standing on the second floor, sources said.

A team of neuro, orthopaedic and general surgeons operated upon the man for about an hour to remove the rod.

The man is now recovering, sources said.