A chopper carrying President Droupadi Murmu experienced a landing issue on Wednesday morning, 22 October, when part of the helipad at Pramadam Stadium in Kerala gave way under its weight. The President was in the area to visit the Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala for prayers.
What Happened?
A portion of the helipad tarmac at the Pramadam Stadium in Kerala sank after the helicopter carrying President Droupadi Murmu landed on Wednesday during her visit to the Sabarimala temple. According to officials present at the site, the helipad surface partially caved in moments after the chopper touched down.
The police and fire departments were rushed to the spot and manually pushed the aircraft out of the sunken area to ensure safety. The President was en route to offer prayers at the Sabarimala temple as part of her official four-day visit to Kerala, which began on October 21. The President will be returning to Delhi on October 24. She was received by Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, George Kurian on Tuesday. She will perform darshan and aarti at the Sabarimala Temple on October 22
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
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The President, who arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday evening for a four-day official visit to the southern state, left for Pathanamthitta district, where the hill shrine is located, this morning.
The president’s convoy departed from the Raj Bhavan for the airport at 7.25 am. From there, she will travel by helicopter to Pramadam in Pathanamthitta district, before proceeding to Pamba, the foothills of Sabarimala.
