An Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter carrying President Droupadi Murmu got its wheels stuck in wet concrete at a temporary helipad in Pathanamthitta district on Wednesday, shortly after landing for her visit to Sabarimala. The incident, which occurred at the Pramadam Indoor Stadium complex, raised concerns about possible lapses in preparedness, though top officials denied any breach of security protocol.
According to officials, the helicopter landed on a section of the helipad where the concrete surface had not fully dried. The wheels reportedly sank into the wet concrete soon after the President disembarked. Kerala Director General of Police (DGP) Ravada A. Chandrasekhar clarified that there was no security lapse and attributed the incident to a minor deviation in the landing position.
“The helicopter landed at a wet spot about five feet from the designated landing point. As a result, the wheels got stuck in the concrete and the aircraft could not move forward. It was later pushed to a safe area for take-off,” the DGP was quoted as saying by local media.
Pathanamthitta District Collector Prem Krishnan S. also confirmed that there had been no compromise in the President’s security.
Video footage circulating on social media showed about 30 police personnel deployed for the President’s security physically pushing the helicopter out of the wet portion of the helipad. The visuals prompted questions over the construction quality of the helipad and the coordination among local authorities.
Reports indicated that the temporary helipad was constructed only 12 hours before the scheduled landing. Intelligence agencies had reportedly cautioned that the surface might remain damp and advised positioning the landing zone a few feet away from the wet area. However, the chopper landed directly on the portion where the concrete had not yet set.
The President continued her onward journey to the Sabarimala hill shrine as per schedule, officials said.
Two landing sites had been prepared for the President’s visit, one at Nilakkal near Sabarimala and another at Pramadam. Due to poor weather and fog at Nilakkal, the helicopter was diverted to the Pramadam Indoor Stadium helipad, located around 50 km away.
Media reports also highlighted last-minute changes to the President’s travel plan. Initially, she was scheduled to travel by road from Thiruvananthapuram to Pampa, a distance of about 170 km. The route was switched to air travel on Wednesday morning, leading to hurried preparations at the alternate helipad site.
Authorities are expected to conduct a detailed review of the incident, and officials responsible for the construction and inspection of the helipad may face action if lapses are confirmed, according to official sources.
