WATCH: President Murmu’s helicopter gets stuck after wheels sink into newly concreted helipad in Kerala
A helicopter carrying President Droupadi Murmu encountered a minor tragedy on Wednesday when part of the helipad tarmac at Pramadam Stadium in Kerala sank shortly after landing.
The President is on an official four-day visit to the state and was scheduled to offer prayers at the Sabarimala temple.
Quick action was taken by police and fire department personnel, who manually pushed the aircraft away from the sunken area to ensure safety after the helipad surface partially caved in moments after touchdown, according to news agency PTI.
Officials respond quickly
According to news agency PTI, police and fire department personnel quickly responded and manually moved the helicopter away from the sunken section to ensure safety. The surface reportedly gave way just moments after the aircraft touched down.
The Kerala visit of President Murmu began on October 21 and is set to conclude on October 24. She received a formal welcome from state officials after arriving at Thiruvananthapuram Airport on Tuesday.
#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
“Governor of Kerala Shri Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying Shri George Kurian received President Droupadi Murmu on her arrival at Thiruvananthapuram,” stated the President’s official X account.
“Warmly welcomed Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, on her visit to Kerala. Her presence was a great honour for the State and our people,” Kerala CM Vijayan posted on X.
The President’s schedule includes visiting the Sabarimala Temple on October 22 to offer darshan and perform aarti. On October 23, she unveiled a bust of former President K.R. Narayanan at Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram.
She also inaugurated the Mahasamadhi Centenary observance of Sree Narayana Guru at Sivagiri Mutt in Varkala and later attended the valedictory ceremony of St. Thomas College’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in Palai.
