Helipad Sinks as President Murmu’s Helicopter Touches Down

President Murmu’s Helicopter: When President Droupadi Murmu’s helicopter landed on the freshly concreted helipad tarmac in Pramadam, Kerala, during her visit to the Sabarimala shrine on Wednesday, a section of the tarmac collapsed.

Several police officers and firefighters were observed moving the wheels of the Indian Air Force’s Mi-17 helicopter out of the tiny indentations at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium after President Murmu departed by car for Pamba, the foothills of Sabarimala. According to a senior police officer, the helipad was constructed in Pramadam late on Tuesday after the landing site was finalized at the last minute.

Take a look at the video:

#WATCH | Kerala: A portion of the helipad tarmac sank in after a chopper carrying President Droupdi Murmu landed at Pramadam Stadium. Police and fire department personnel deployed at the spot physically pushed the helicopter out of the sunken spot. pic.twitter.com/QDmf28PqIb

— ANI (@ANI) October 22, 2025

Because of poor weather, the landing was rescheduled from Nilackal, which is close to Pamba, to Pramadam. According to the reports, Murmu’s visit to Kerala is scheduled for four days. As she arrived in Thiruvananthapuram, she is going to offer prayers at the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala today.

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President Droupadi Murmu’s Visit to Kerala:

She is the first female head of state to offer prayers at the Sabarimala shrine dedicated to Lord Ayyappa. Following former president VV Giri’s visit to Sabarimala in the 1970s, she is the second president to visit the shrine.

She would return to Thiruvananthapuram in the evening following the Sabarimala darshan. On Thursday, she will unveil a bust of former President KR Narayanan at the Raj Bhavan. She will later attend the closing ceremony for St. Thomas College’s Platinum Jubilee festivities in Pala, Kottayam district, and launch the Mahasamadhi Centenary celebrations of Sree Narayana Guru at the Sivagiri Mutt in Varkala.