Thiruvananthapuram: A portion of a helipad at the Pramadam Stadium in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district collapsed, moments after President Droupadi Murmu’s helicopter landed there on Wednesday morning.
Fire department personnel and policemen then pushed the Indian Air Force (IAF) Mi-17 V5 helicopter out of the caved in portion.
President Murmu is on a four-day visit to Kerala. She travelled to Pathanamthitta from Thiruvananthapuram during the day to offer prayers to the Lord Ayappa Temple in Sabarimala.
From Pramadam, the President travelled by road to Pamba, the foothills of Sabarimala.
Officials from the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) said all arrangements for President Murmu’s visit to Sabarimala are in place. She will reach Sannidhanam in a convoy of five four-wheel-drive vehicles and an ambulance via the Swami Ayyappan Road and the traditional trekking path.
According to the police, original plans were for the President’s helicopter to land at Nilackal near Pamba. The plan was changed at the last moment due to unfavorable weather conditions, prompting authorities to construct the helipad at Pramadam Stadium late on Tuesday.
“The concrete had not completely set completely and could not handle the helicopter’s weight when it landed, hence the subsidence occurred. This happened after the President’s departure for Sabarimala,” a police official said.
President Murmu will return to Thiruvananthapuram in the evening. On Thursday, she will unveil a bust of former President K R Narayanan at the Raj Bhavan there.
She will also inaugurate the Mahasamadhi Centenary celebrations of Sree Narayana Guru at the Sivagiri Mutt in Varkala and attend the valedictory function of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of St Thomas College in Pala, Kottayam district.