- Saturday, November 23, 2024
Departures from the affecter Terminal 1, which only has domestic flight operations, were temporarily suspended. India’s civil aviation minister inspected the site and said a thorough examination of the structure will take place.
By: Shubham Ghosh
WHILE heavy rain on Thursday (27) brought relief to Delhi which has been reeling from sweltering heat over the past many days, it also led to a tragedy at the airport in India’s national capital where a portion of the roof of terminal 1 (T1) collapsed on parked vehicles on Friday (28), resulting in death of at least one person and injuries to six others.
Departures from T1, which only has domestic flight operations, were temporarily suspended as a result, the country’s civil aviation ministry said.
“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 announced on X.
Heavy rain in early morning today has resulted in the collapse of the canopy of #DelhiAirport Terminal 1. As a result of which flights to & from Terminal 1 have been closed till further notice. Alternate arrangements are being made for smooth operation of the flights.
— MoCA_GoI (@MoCA_GoI) June 28, 2024
#Update on #Delhi T-1 Incident. pic.twitter.com/7KcrhL9p25
— Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu (@RamMNK) June 28, 2024
Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, the civil aviation minister who assumed responsibility earlier this month after the third Narendra Modi government took office, visited the airport and inspected the damaged terminal. He said that the airport authorities will temporarily shift operations to two other terminals at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, one of the world’s busiest airports. In 2023, the airport handled a passenger traffic of more than 72 million flyers.
The minister called the incident “very serious” and said a thorough examination of the structure will be conducted. The technical reasons and other aspects related to the collapse would be known after that, Naidu added.
He also added a compensation of Rs 20 lakh (£18,965) for the kin of the deceased and Rs 10 lakh (£9,483) for each of the injured.
Inspecting the T1 Terminal and reviewing with the officials.
All required rescue operations are being conducted at the terminal pic.twitter.com/6ck4ce39RY— Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu (@RamMNK) June 28, 2024
Kinjarapu said prime minister Narendra Modi was “closely monitoring” the situation and has assured full support.
According to officials, the roof sheet and beams supporting it crumbled, damaging at least four cars that were parked in the pick-up and drop area. The Delhi Fire Service was alerted around 5.30 am local time.
The deceased was badly injured in the collapse and succumbed to his injuries during treatment, it was told.
India’s budget carriers IndiGo and SpiceJet cancelled many of their flights as passengers reportedly were unable to enter the terminal. They also were accommodating passengers to Terminal 2 and 3.
“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, NDTV reported.
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.
Delhi continued to receive heavy rainfall on Friday and many parts of the city were waterlogged as a result, throwing the traffic out of order.
The Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi’s primary weather station, recorded 154 millimetres of rainfall between Thursday and Friday morning, the India Meteorological Department said.
