India: A portion of the newly concreted helipad tarmac in Kerala’s Pramadam sank after the helicopter carrying President Droupadi Murmu landed on it during her visit to the Sabarimala temple on Wednesday.
After President Murmu left by road for Pamba, the foothills of Sabarimala, via road, several policemen and fire force personnel were seen pushing the wheels of the Indian Air Force’s Mi-17 chopper out of the small depressions at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
Pramadam was fixed as the location for landing at the last moment, and the helipad was created there late on Tuesday, a senior police officer said.
The landing was originally planned at Nilackal near Pamba, but it was changed to Pramadam due to bad weather.
“The concrete had not set completely, and therefore, it could not handle the helicopter’s weight when it landed, and depressions were formed where the wheels touched the ground,” the officer said.
She arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday evening for a four-day official visit to Kerala.
