NEW DELHI: A minor scare unfolded during President Droupadi Murmu’s official visit to Kerala on Wednesday when the wheels of her helicopter sank into a newly concreted helipad shortly after landing. The incident occurred at a designated landing site prepared for her visit to the Sabarimala temple as part of her four-day tour of the state.
According to reports, the tarmac partially caved in moments after the helicopter touched down, prompting an immediate safety response from local authorities. Police and fire department personnel rushed to the spot and manually pushed the helicopter away from the sunken area to prevent any further sinking or damage. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and the situation was brought under control swiftly.
The President’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle confirmed her safe arrival, stating that she was received in Thiruvananthapuram 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. “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,” CM Vijayan wrote on X.
President Murmu’s itinerary includes a visit to the Sabarimala Temple on October 22 for darshan and aarti. On October 23, she unveiled a bust of former President K.R. Narayanan at Raj Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram, and inaugurated the Mahasamadhi Centenary observance of Sree Narayana Guru at Sivagiri Mutt, Varkala. She also attended the valedictory ceremony of St. Thomas College’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in Palai.
The President is scheduled to attend the centenary celebrations of St. Teresa’s College in Ernakulam on October 24. Later in the day, a BJP delegation led by Kerala unit president Rajeev Chandrasekhar met her at Raj Bhavan to discuss various public issues, including the recent Sabarimala gold theft case.
The incident has raised questions about the quality of infrastructure and preparedness at temporary helipads used for high-level visits. While no formal inquiry has been announced yet, officials are expected to assess the structural integrity of the landing pad to prevent such occurrences in the future.
