A portion of a helipad in Pathanamthitta, Kerala, experienced a collapse shortly after President Droupadi Murmu’s helicopter touched down. This incident necessitated emergency measures, with police and fire personnel needing to manually assist in moving the helicopter’s wheels out of the sunken area.
The helicopter, carrying President Droupadi Murmu, was en route to her Sabarimala visit and had landed at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Pathanamthitta’s Pramadam.
What led to the helipad’s collapse?
According to a senior district police officer, the decision to use the Rajiv Gandhi stadium as a landing site was made last minute. Consequently, the helipad was hastily constructed on Tuesday night. The original plan was to land at Nilackal near Pamba, but a change in plans due to adverse weather led to the shift to Pramadam.
The officer explained that the helipad’s concrete had not fully cured as it was built overnight. This meant it couldn’t withstand the weight of the helicopter upon landing, resulting in depressions forming where the wheels made contact with the ground.
Following the President’s departure for Pamba by road, emergency personnel were observed assisting the helicopter by maneuvering its wheels out of the indentations.
President Murmu had arrived in Thiruvananthapuram the previous evening for her four-day official visit to Kerala. She departed on Wednesday morning for Pathanamthitta district, the gateway to the Sabarimala shrine, before proceeding to Pamba via road.