The wheels of the helicopter carrying President Droupadi Murmu for her visit to Sabarimala got stuck after its wheels sank into a depression in the newly concreted helipad at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Kerala’s Pramadam.
As per officials present at the spot, the helipad surface partially caved in moments after the chopper touched down. Soon after the incident, personnel from the police and fire departments reached the site and manually pushed the aircraft out of the sunken area to ensure safety.
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, according to a senior police officer cited by news agency PTI.
Initially, the landing was planned at Nilackal near Pamba. However, it was later 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 was on her way to offer prayers at the Sabarimala temple as part of her four-day official visit to Kerala, which began on October 21 and will conclude on October 24.
She arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday, where she was received by governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and union minister of state George Kurian.
The President of India's official X account posted, "Governor of Kerala Shri Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying Shri George Kurian received President Droupadi Murmu on her arrival at Thiruvananthapuram."
Kerala CM Vijayan also shared a post on X regarding the President's visit. He said, "Warmly welcomed Hon'ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, on her visit to Kerala. Her presence was a great honour for the State and our people."
According to a release, the President will perform darshan and aarti at the Sabarimala Temple on October 22.
(With agencies inputs)
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