New Delhi: Flight departures at the Delhi airport’s Terminal 1 were suspended till 2 pm on Friday after a portion of its roof collapsed amid incessant rains, killing one and injuring many.
The incident took place at 5 am. Passengers who were already inside the terminal boarded their flights. The departures were completely suspended around 7:30 am. Flight arrivals have not been impacted, the sources said.
Three fire-tenders were sent to the airport after the DFS received a call about the incident around 5:30 am.
Besides the roof sheet, the support beams collapsed, damaging the cars parked in the pick-up and drop area of the terminal, the officials said. The injured persons were admitted to Medanta Hospital near the airport. One of the injured succumbed during treatment, they said.
According to Government sources, the part of the roof that collapsed at the Delhi airport’s terminal 1 was constructed during 2008-09. “GMR contracted the work out to private contractors,” they said.
A compensation of Rs 20 lakh for the deceased and Rs 3 lakh for the injured has been announced, said Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu. “Heavy rain in early morning today has resulted in the collapse of the canopy of Delhi airport Terminal 1. As a result of which, flights to and from Terminal 1 have been closed till further notice. Alternate arrangements are being made for smooth operation of the flights,” the ministry said in a post on X.
Compensation of Rs 20 lakh for the deceased and Rs 3 lakh for the injured has been announced, says Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu https://t.co/WLthE4xuYt pic.twitter.com/nEWz2aTbBW
— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2024
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said, “This structure was built in 2009. We have asked the Delhi airport authorities to do the verifications and checks. Ministry officials will also inspect and give their report.”
T1 has only domestic flight operations by IndiGo and SpiceJet. The airport has three terminals, T1, T2 and T3, and 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 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.
#WeatherUpdate: Due to bad weather in Delhi (DEL), all departures/arrivals and their consequential flights may get affected. Passengers are requested to keep a check on their flight status via https://t.co/VkU7yLjrw0.
— SpiceJet (@flyspicejet) June 28, 2024