Visuals of Exact Moment Accessed: Portion of Helipad Sinks In As Helicopter Carrying President Droupadi Murmu Lands in Kerala

Pathanamthitta: A video has emerged showing a helicopter carrying President Droupadi Murmu getting stuck on a newly built helipad at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Pramadam, Kerala, during her visit to the Sabarimala temple on Wednesday morning.

The video shows the wheels of the helicopter getting stuck in a depression in the newly concreted helipad moments after landing. The incident occurred as the aircraft touched down on the hastily prepared helipad, which had been constructed the previous night following a last-minute change in landing location due to poor weather conditions at Nilackal near Pamba.

After the President left for Pamba by road, visuals showed several police officers and fire brigade personnel pushing the helicopter's wheels out of the small depressions created when it landed on the concrete.

A senior police officer said that the helipad had not been given adequate time for the concrete to fully set, which led to depressions forming under the aircraft's weight. Personnel from the police and fire departments immediately responded, pushing the helicopter out of the sunken area manually to ensure safety.

According to the reports, there were no injuries or damage, and the President continued her journey by road to Pamba, the foothills of Sabarimala, by a Gurkha jeep.

President Murmu had arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday evening for a four-day official visit to Kerala. She was received at the airport by Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and Union Minister George Kurian.

As part of her visit, the President will offer prayers at the Sabarimala temple. On October 23, she will unveil a bust of former President K.R. Narayanan at Raj Bhavan and will inaugurate the Mahasamadhi Centenary of Sree Narayana Guru at Sivagiri Mutt in Varkala. She will also attend the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of St. Thomas College, Palai.

On October 24, President Murmu will participate in the centenary celebrations of St. Teresa's College in Ernakulam.

Meanwhile, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delegation led by Kerala state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar met President Murmu at Raj Bhavan, raising public concerns including the recent Sabarimala gold theft case, according to a party release.

Authorities are likely to conduct an internal review into the helipad preparation to prevent such incidents during future VVIP movements.

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