Skiing took its toll again on a celebrity via an accident; this time the victim is German Chancellor Angela Merkel who fractured her pelvis. Her ski accident follows a similar accident of Formula One legend Michael Schumacher who is still in a medically induced coma since Dec 29.

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Ms Merkel was in Switzerland. Her accident also happened late December, but the incident was disclosed to the public only on Monday. She was on her winter holiday in Engadin, near St Moritz.

The accident forced the German leader to cancel several appointments and foreign trips in the next three weeks, including one scheduled this week to Poland.

But her injury, a fractured pelvis, is less serious that Mr Schumacher's. Ms Merkel could walk on crutches and will hold her regular cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

Steffen Siebert, her spokesman, said the chancellor fell while cross-country skiing at low speed. She initially thought the fall resulted only in a bruise, but she saw a doctor after several hours. The diagnosis was that there is a partial fracture on the left, rear part of her pelvis.

The accident led to questions about the age of the ski she used. Ms Merkel's skis are Germina Alpha CS, made in Germany between 1992 and 1995. While the manufacturer previously commented when Ms Merkel was seen using an old ski while at the Swiss resort of St Moritz, Germina insisted despite not being the newest pair, being German-made makes it still usable.

But one of Germina's manager commented to the Bild newspaper that Ms Merkel should maybe think of buying a new pair since skis, with regular use, lose some of their effectiveness after a decade.