A minor technical incident occurred on Wednesday morning when the helicopter carrying President Droupadi Murmu experienced a slight dip upon landing at a newly constructed helipad in Pathanamthitta, Kerala. The wheels of the aircraft reportedly got stuck in shallow depressions formed on the freshly concreted surface of the helipad at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Pramadam.

The incident took place shortly after the helicopter touched down as part of the President’s visit to Sabarimala, one of Kerala’s most revered pilgrimage sites. Despite the unexpected snag, there were no injuries or damage, and the President continued her journey to Pamba by road as per schedule.

Television visuals later showed police and fire service personnel working together to push the helicopter’s wheels free from the minor dents in the concrete. The situation was quickly brought under control, and flight safety officials confirmed that the aircraft remained structurally unaffected.

A senior district police officer explained that the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium was finalized as the landing site at the last minute due to unfavorable weather conditions at Nilackal, the originally planned location.

“The helipad was constructed late on Tuesday, and the concrete hadn’t completely set. Because of that, it couldn’t fully bear the helicopter’s weight, leading to the formation of slight depressions,” the officer said.

According to officials, the last-minute change in plan was made to ensure the President’s safety amid reports of intermittent rain in the Nilackal region. The temporary helipad at Pramadam was completed overnight to accommodate the high-profile visit.

President Murmu, who arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday evening for a four-day official tour of Kerala, began her day’s schedule with a visit to Pathanamthitta district, from where she is traveling by road to Pamba, the base point for pilgrims en route to the Sabarimala hill shrine.