HYDERABAD: A major mishap was narrowly avoided during the Kisan Mahotsav in Nizamabad when a helicopter carrying Telangana ministers made an unexpected landing directly at the event site. The helicopter, carrying Ministers Tummala Nageswara Rao, Jupally Krishna Rao, and Uttam Kumar Reddy, was scheduled to land at a designated helipad set up at a distance from the venue. However, the pilot instead chose to land the aircraft at the event location itself.
The force of the helicopter’s rotors created a cloud of dust and knocked down welcome gates, triggering panic among attendees who rushed to safety. While the ministers were unharmed, several of the 150 stalls set up for the event sustained damage, and a few police personnel received minor injuries.
The incident occurred as the ministers arrived at the venue by helicopter to attend the agricultural outreach event. The pilot’s decision to bypass the prepared helipad and land within the crowded venue put many at risk, though quick action averted a larger tragedy.
In a separate recent incident, Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy also narrowly escaped a helicopter-related mishap. While he was en route to Nagarkurnool district to attend an awareness programme on the Bho Bharati Act 2025, a signal flare ignited dry grass during landing at the Collectorate premises. Police and fire services quickly responded and extinguished the blaze.
These back-to-back occurrences highlight the critical importance of adhering to safety protocols during helicopter landings. Authorities are being urged to implement stringent precautionary measures to prevent such incidents in the future.