President Droupadi Murmu's official trip to Kerala faced an unforeseen snag on Wednesday morning when her helicopter got stuck in a new concrete helipad soon after touching down at the Pramadam Indoor Stadium in Pathanamthitta.
#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
Emergency responders, such as police and fire officials, had to physically push the plane to safety before the President could proceed with her journey to the Sabarimala temple.
Helipad Fails Under Chopper's Weight
The helicopter, initially planned to land at Nilakkal, had its landing point switched to Pramadam at the eleventh hour by reason of bad weather.
When the chopper landed at Pramadam, its wheels slipped into the newly concreted temporary helipad surface that had not yet set, making a depression that had trapped the aircraft. The standby personnel came to the rescue quickly, uniting to push the helicopter manually out of the depression. There were no reported injuries to the President or pilots.
Sabarimala Pilgrimage Under Tight Security
After the incident, President Murmu went to the Sabarimala Sannidhanam through the Swami Ayyappan Road and the traditional trekking route.
Road Journey: She is going in a convoy of five four-wheel-drive cars and an ambulance.
Security Details: Security has been greatly increased for the visit. Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) officials assured that a detailed convoy rehearsal was conducted beforehand to facilitate a smooth journey.
The President will be back at Thiruvananthapuram in the evening after taking a darshan at the Lord Ayyappa Temple.
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