President Droupadi Murmu’s chopper gets stuck in newly laid helipad

President Droupadi Murmu’s helicopter got stuck on a landing pad in Kerala, reports say. The helicopter landed on a newly concreted landing pad during her visit to Sabarimala. Later, a part of the helicopter got stuck in the asphalt.

After President Murmu left for Pampa, at the foothills of Sabarimala, by road, several police and fire brigade personnel were seen pushing the wheels of the Indian Air Force’s MI-17 helicopter at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium.

It was initially planned to land at Neelakkal near Pampa, but due to bad weather, it was changed to Pramadham. The concrete was not completely hardened and could not handle the weight of the helicopter when it landed.

A portion of the helipad tarmac, which was reportedly newly concreted and had not fully set, sank or caved in shortly after the chopper touched down. The helicopter’s wheels became stuck in the resulting depression. Police and fire department personnel immediately rushed to the aircraft and manually pushed it out of the sunken area to ensure its safety.

The President was en route to offer prayers at the Sabarimala temple as part of her four-day official visit to Kerala. The landing location had reportedly been changed to Pramadam at the last minute due to inclement weather. The President was safe and continued her onward journey to Pamba by road.

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