Helipad Sinks as President Murmu Lands: How Close Was the Danger?

President Droupadi Murmu faced an unexpected situation during her official visit to Kerala on Wednesday when a portion of the helipad tarmac at Pramadam Stadium sank moments after her helicopter landed.

The incident occurred during her four-day visit, which includes a scheduled pilgrimage to the Sabarimala temple.

According to reports, police and fire department personnel acted swiftly to manually push the helicopter away from the sunken section, ensuring the President’s safety. The helipad surface partially caved in immediately after touchdown, but no injuries or damage to the aircraft were reported.

President Murmu arrived in Kerala on October 21 at Thiruvananthapuram Airport, where she received a formal welcome from state officials. The official X account of the President noted: “Governor of Kerala Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying George Kurian received President Droupadi Murmu on her arrival at Thiruvananthapuram. Her presence was a great honour for the State and our people.”

During her visit, the President’s itinerary includes performing darshan and aarti at the Sabarimala Temple on October 22. On October 23, she will unveil the bust of former President K.R. Narayanan at Raj Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram, inaugurate the Mahasamadhi Centenary observance of Sree Narayana Guru at Sivagiri Mutt, Varkala, and attend the valedictory function of St. Thomas College’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in Palai. Her schedule for October 24 includes attending the centenary celebrations of St. Teresa's College in Ernakulam.

In a related engagement, a BJP delegation led by Kerala party president Rajeev Chandrasekhar met with President Murmu at Raj Bhavan. According to the party, the discussion covered public concerns, including the recent Sabarimala gold theft incident.

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