One person lost his life and six others received injuries after a portion of the roof of Delhi airport’s Terminal 1 collapsed on cars amid heavy rain this morning.
All flights from the terminal at Indira Gandhi International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world, scheduled until 2 pm today have been cancelled, stated Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu after inspecting the airport.
Officials reported the roof sheet and support beams collapsed, damaging four cars parked in the pick-up and drop area of the terminal. The incident was reported to Delhi Fire Services or DFS around 5:30 am. During rescue operations, a man was seen being taken out from a cab on which an iron beam had fallen.
In a statement, Kinjarapu, the newly-elected Civil Aviation Minister, said flights scheduled to depart after 2 pm will operate from the airport’s other two terminals, Terminal 2 and Terminal 3.
“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 cancelled. 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.
He added, “I will see that a thorough examination of the terminal’s structure is conducted by experts to ensure safety.” He also mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is “closely monitoring” the situation and has assured full support.
Speaking to reporters after inspecting the Delhi airport, Kinjarapu called it a “very serious” incident and announced compensation of ₹20 lakh for the family of the victim and ₹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 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 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,” said an IndiGo spokesperson.
“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.
