A section of a newly built helipad in Kerala’s Pramadam collapsed on Wednesday as a helicopter carrying Indian President Droupadi Murmu touched down.
The incident occurred at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Pathanamthitta’s Pramadam, where the president arrived for her visit to Sabarimala.
Following the incident, President Murmu continued her journey to Pamba — the foothills of Sabarimala — by road.
Bizarre scenes unfolded at the stadium after the president left for Pamba by road, as viral videos show officials pushing the Indian Air Force’s Mi-17 chopper by hand from a caved-in helipad, sparking widespread criticism and reactions on social media.
Another said: “President Draupadi Murmu gets the firsthand experience of BJP’s Space Technology Infrastructure as the wheel of her helicopter got stuck in the newly constructed helipad.”
According to Indian media, the landing was originally planned at Nilackal near Pamba, but it was changed to Pramadam due to bad weather conditions.