President Droupadi Murmu’s chopper scare (ANI)
A portion of a newly constructed helipad collapsed on Wednesday after the wheels of President Droupadi Murmu’s helicopter got stuck in it at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Pathanamthitta, Kerala. The incident occurred shortly after the President returned from her visit to the Sabarimala Temple.
According to officials, the concrete helipad had been built just a few hours earlier and was not fully set. It was chosen as a last-minute alternative landing site after the initial plan to land at Nilackal near Pamba was changed due to bad weather.
District officials said the helipad at the stadium was laid late on Tuesday night, and because the concrete had not hardened completely, it could not withstand the weight of the helicopter. “The helipad surface partially caved in moments after the helicopter touched down,” a senior police officer told PTI.
Visuals from the scene showed the helicopter tilting to one side as police and fire personnel rushed to assist. Security and emergency staff quickly surrounded the aircraft and managed to pull it out of the sunken portion after several minutes of effort. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident, and President Murmu was safely escorted away.
The President had landed in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday evening for a four-day visit to Kerala. As part of her trip, she visited the Sabarimala Temple in Pathanamthitta district to offer prayers and perform darshan and aarti on October 22.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan welcomed the President’s visit on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “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.”
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Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
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