At least one person was killed and six others injured after a portion of the roof of the Delhi airport’s Terminal-1 (T1) collapsed on cars amid heavy rain this morning. All departures from Terminal 1, which has only domestic flight operations, have been temporarily suspended, and check-in counters closed as a “safety measure”, a Delhi airport spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also said that all departing flights from T1 of IndiGo and SpiceJet are cancelled till 2 pm today.
Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu went to the airport and inspected the terminal 1.
Called it a “very serious incident”, he announced compensation for the family of the victim and the injured.
He said that the airport will temporarily shift operations to Terminal 2 and Terminal 3.
Inspecting the T1 Terminal and reviewing with the officials.
— Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu (@RamMNK) June 28, 2024
All required rescue operations are being conducted at the terminal pic.twitter.com/6ck4ce39RY
Four vehicles, including cabs, were damaged in the incident that was reported to the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) around 5.30 am.
The officials said the roof sheet and the support beams collapsed, damaging the cars parked in the pick-up and drop area of the terminal at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world.
During the rescue operations, a man was taken out from a car on which an iron beam had fallen.
In an official statement, Delhi airport said that a portion of the canopy at the old Departure forecourt of Delhi Airport’s Terminal 1 collapsed “due to heavy rain since early this morning”.
“There are injuries reported, and emergency personnel are working to provide all necessary assistance and medical aid to those affected. As a result of this incident, all departures from Terminal 1 are temporarily suspended, and check-in counters are closed as a safety measure. We sincerely regret this disruption and apologize for any inconvenience caused,” the statement read.
Indigo, Spicejet Cancel Flights As Roof Collapses At Delhi Airport
IndiGo said that its flight operations were impacted due to structural damage to Terminal 1 at Delhi Airport. In a statement, the low-cost carrier said that the incident has led to flight cancellations in Delhi as “passengers are not able to enter the terminal”.
“Passengers already inside the terminal will be able to board their planned flights, but those with flights later in the day will be offered alternatives,” an IndiGo spokesperson said.
“This unplanned situation has also led to operations across the network being impacted. Customers are advised to keep track of and confirm their flight status before leaving for the airport,” the statement added.
Spicejet also cancelled its flights until further notice.
“Please keep a watch on our Social Media channels for further updates,” the airline told its passengers.
Heavy Rain In Delhi
Delhi today received heavy rain for the second consecutive day. Rain, which brought respite from the scorching heat, also caused waterlogging in several parts of the national capital.
Visuals shared by the news agency ANI on X showed roads inundated and long traffic in parts of Delhi.
#WATCH | Delhi: Roads inundated as heavy rain continues in parts of National Capital
— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2024
(Visuals from Govindpuri) pic.twitter.com/9idnGwx0nb
A car was also seen submerged at Minto Road.
#WATCH | A car submerged in water and roads heavily flooded due to continuous downpour in Delhi
— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2024
(Visuals from Minto Road) pic.twitter.com/reJQPlzfbQ
The Safdarjung Observatory, the capital’s primary weather station, recorded 154 mm of rainfall between yesterday and today morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
On Thursday, rain in Delhi brought the temperature down to 35.4 degrees Celsius.
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