Roof Collapse in Delhi Airport Terminal 1: The first monsoon rain in Delhi NCR has exposed all the claims. From Delhi’s roads to outside the metro station, water has filled due to heavy rain. Due to torrential rain in the morning, a major accident has happened at Delhi Airport. This accident happened at Terminal 1 of IGI Airport at around 5.30 am on Friday. So far 6 people have been reported injured in this accident.
Delhi Airport is at the 5th place in the list of best airports in the world. Everyone from the airport authority to the common man takes pride in it. But just a few hours of rain spoiled this pride. The roof of Terminal-1 collapsed due to heavy rain. This accident raises a big question on the maintenance of Delhi Airport. The question is how was the world’s 5th best airport being maintained that a rain affected it badly.
Fire brigade team officials said that six people were injured when a part of the roof of Terminal-1 of Delhi Airport fell on cars including taxis amid heavy rain in the early hours of Friday. A checking campaign is being carried out to ensure that no one else is trapped in the damaged cars. Officials say that apart from the roof sheet, the support beam also collapsed, causing damage to the cars parked in the pick-up and drop area of the terminal. The people injured in this accident have been admitted to the hospital.
After the accident, Terminal 1 of Indira Gandhi International Airport has been temporarily closed. All flights departing from Terminal 1 have also been temporarily suspended. It is not yet clear when and where the operations of flights departing from Terminal 1 will resume. Delhi-NCR has got relief from the heat due to rain, the biggest problem now is traffic jam. There is water everywhere. It has become difficult for people to come out on the roads. Vehicles are stuck in the water. It has come to the point where people have to get down in dirty water and push the vehicles.
Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu visited the airport and inspected Terminal 1. He said that the airport will temporarily shift operations to Terminal 2 and Terminal 3. Calling it a “very serious” incident, the newly-elected minister announced that a thorough inspection of the structure at the airport would be carried out.
The technical reasons and other aspects of the incident would be known after the investigation, he said. He also announced a 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. The airport has three terminals, T1, T2 and T3, and handles around 1,400 flight movements daily. The incident was reported to the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) around 5.30 am.
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”.Spicejet also cancelled its flights until further notice.
“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”.
Heavy Rain In Delhi
On Thursday, rain in Delhi brought the temperature down to 35.4 degrees Celsius. 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. Rain, which brought respite from the scorching heat, also caused waterlogging in several parts of the national capital.