Helipad partially sinks as President Murmu’s helicopter lands in Kerala

A portion of the newly constructed helipad tarmac in Pramadam, Kerala, sank after an Air Force helicopter carrying President Droupadi Murmu landed on it on Wednesday (October 22). Following the incident, the President left for Pamba, located on the foothills of Sabarimala by road.

Soon after her departure, several police and fire brigade personnel were seen pushing the wheels of the Mi-17 helicopter out of the small potholes that were created where the wheels of the chopper touched the helipad at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium.

Landing spot selected at the last moment

According to a senior police officer, Pramadam was selected as the landing spot for the President’s helicopter at the last moment, and the helipad was constructed late on Tuesday night (October 21), reported NDTV.

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The report further stated that initially, Nilackal near Pamba was selected as the landing spot, but was later changed to Pramadam because of inclement weather.

Concrete didn’t totally settle

Elaborating further, the police officer said that the concrete had not totally settled and hence was unable to withstand the helicopter’s weight when it landed. He also said that small depressions were formed where the wheels touched the ground.

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"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," added the officer as quoted by NDTV.

President to offer prayers at Lord Ayyappa temple

The President arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday evening for a four-day official visit to Kerala. She will offer prayers at the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala on Wednesday.

According to media reports, President Murmu will be the first woman head of state to visit the Lord Ayyappa shrine at Sabarimala for offering prayers. Murmu will also be the second President to visit the temple after former President VV Giri, who visited the shrine in the 1970s.

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Murmu, after offering prayers at Sabarimala, will head back to Thiruvananthapuram in the evening and on Thursday (October 24) unveil a bust of former President KR Narayanan at the Raj Bhavan.

Later in the day, the President will kick-start the Mahasamadhi Centenary celebrations of Sree Narayana Guru at the Sivagiri Mutt in Varkala. She will also attend the valedictory function of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of St Thomas College at Pata in Kottayam district.

The President’s Kerala visit will end on October 24, when she will attend the centenary celebrations of St Teresa's College in Ernakulam.