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 flights from the terminal at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world, scheduled till 2 pm today have been cancelled, Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said after inspecting the airport.
The officials said the roof sheet and the support beams collapsed, damaging four cars parked in the pick-up and drop area of the terminal. The incident was reported to the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) around 5.30 am.
During the rescue operations, a man was seen being taken out from a cab on which an iron beam had fallen.
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In a statement, Mr Kinjarapu, the newly-elected civil aviation minister, said the flights scheduled to depart after 2 pm will operate from the other two terminals, Terminal 2 and Terminal 3, of the airport.
“Following the collapse of the Delhi T1 terminal this morning, I have personally inspected the site. Our immediate priority was the safe evacuation of all passengers from the terminal. Consequently, all flights scheduled until 2 PM have been canceled. Passengers will receive full refunds or have the option to rebook on alternative flights and routes. Flights scheduled to depart after 2 PM will be operated from T2 and T3,” he said.
"I will see that a thorough examination of the terminal's structure is conducted by experts to ensure safety," he added.
He also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "closely monitoring" the situation and has assured us of full support.
Speaking to reporters after inspecting the Delhi airport, he called it a "very serious" incident and announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh for the family of the victim and Rs 3 lakh each for those injured.
T1 has only domestic flight operations by IndiGo and SpiceJet and the airport handles around 1,400 flight movements daily.
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".
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"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.
A car was seen submerged at Minto Road.
According to the Meteorological Department, Delhi received 228 mm of record rainfall from 8:30 am yesterday to 8:30 am today.
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