President Droupadi Murmu’s helicopter got stuck on a newly constructed helipad at Pramadam Stadium in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district on Wednesday, October 22, morning, after the concrete surface caved in under the aircraft’s weight.
The incident occurred around 9.05 am when the chopper landed at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium helipad during her visit to the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple. The helicopter’s tyres sank into the freshly laid concrete moments after touchdown, causing the aircraft to tilt to one side.
According to officials, the helipad was constructed late on Tuesday night after the landing location was changed at the last minute from Nilackal to Pramadam due to inclement weather conditions in the region. The concrete had not set completely and could not bear the helicopter’s weight, leading to a depression where the wheels landed.
Personnel from the police and fire departments rushed to the spot and manually pushed the helicopter out of the sunken area. Visuals from the site showed several people working together to pull the aircraft to safety.
President Murmu, however, disembarked safely and continued her journey to Pampa by road without any delay. Officials confirmed that she was unharmed by the incident.
At Pampa, she performed the traditional cleansing ritual by washing her feet instead of taking a dip in the river. She then prepared the irumudi in a ceremony at the Ganapathy temple before proceeding to Sannidhanam in a Gurkha emergency four-wheel-drive vehicle, accompanied by a six-vehicle escort.
She was expected to reach Sannidhanam by 11.50 am, where she would be received with a poornakumbh by the tantri Kandaru Mahesh Mohanaru. She was scheduled to ascend the 18 holy steps and offer prayers to Lord Ayyappa before resting at the Devaswom guest house. Pilgrims were not allowed beyond Nilackal until she completed her visit and departed.
President Murmu arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday evening as part of a four-day official visit to Kerala, running from October 21 to 24. She was received by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and Union Minister George Kurian.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan welcomed her on X, saying, “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.”
Her itinerary includes unveiling the bust of former President K.R. Narayanan at Raj Bhavan on October 23, inaugurating the Mahasamadhi Centenary observance of Sree Narayana Guru at Sivagiri Mutt, and attending centenary celebrations at St. Teresa’s College, Ernakulam, on October 24.
