In an unexpected incident, the wheels of President Droupadi Murmu’s helicopter sank into a freshly concreted helipad at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Pramadam, Pathanamthitta, on Wednesday morning. The mishap occurred during her visit to Sabarimala, prompting police and fire personnel to push the chopper free after landing. (Pics/PTI)
Updated On: 2025-10-22 07:30 PM IST
Compiled by : Tarun Verma
The President arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday evening for a four-day official visit to the southern state.
After the President left for Pamba by road, visuals on TV channels showed several policemen and fire force personnel pushing the helicopter's wheels out of the small depressions created when it landed on the concrete.
A senior police officer of the district said that the stadium was fixed as the location for landing the helicopter at the last moment, and therefore, the helipad was created there late on Tuesday.
The landing was originally planned at Nilackal near Pamba, but it was changed to Pramadam due to inclement weather. "The concrete had not set completely, and therefore, it could not handle the helicopter's weight when it landed, and depressions were formed where the wheels touched the ground," the officer said.
President Murmu left for Pathanamthitta district, where the hill shrine is located, this morning. From Pramadam, Murmu is travelling to Pamba, the foothills of Sabarimala, via road.
