The wheels of the helicopter transporting President Droupadi Murmu for her Sabarimala were stuck in the soft soil of the newly constructed helipad at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Pramadam on Wednesday.
After President Murmu left for Pamba by road, television footage showed several police officers and fire service personnel having to physically push the helicopter's wheels out of the small indentations created when it touched down on the concrete.
A senior police officer said that the stadium was named as the helicopter's landing location at the last moment, which suggests that the helipad was constructed late on Tuesday. The landing, which was originally planned for Nilakkal, near Pamba, was altered to Pramadam due to inclement weather. "The concrete had not set completely, and therefore, it could not handle the helicopter's weight when it landed, and depressions were formed where the wheels touched the ground," the officer confirmed.
The President, who arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday evening for a four-day official visit to the southern state, travelled to the Pathanamthitta district, where the hill shrine is situated, this morning.
Also read: Security beefed up for President Murmu’s Kerala visit
Follow us
