Picture : ANI / X
A cab driver died and six people were injured after a portion of a canopy at Delhi airport’s Terminal-1 collapsed on cars amid heavy rain early Friday, leading to suspension of flight departures, according to officials.
Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu visited Terminal-1 (T1) to take stock of the situation. He said he was monitoring the situation and the injured had been hospitalised.
Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu visited the airport terminal and took stock of the situation.
‘Personally monitoring the roof collapse incident at T1 Delhi Airport. First responders are working at site. Also advised the airlines to assist all affected passengers at T1,’ he said in a post on X.
‘The injured have been evacuated to hospital. Rescue operations are still ongoing,’ he added.
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
Delhi Fire Services (DFS) officials said three fire tenders were rushed to Terminal-1 (T1) of the airport after a call about the incident was received 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. A search operation was conducted to make sure no one was trapped inside the damaged vehicles, they said.
The injured have been admitted to Medanta Hospital near the airport. One of them was rescued from a car on which an iron beam had fallen. He was later identified as Ramesh Kumar, they added.
Picture : ANI / X
The Civil Aviation Ministry said flight operations at T1 have been suspended till further notice.
‘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 the smooth operation of the flights,’ the ministry said in a post on X.
The flight departures were suspended soon after the roof collapse incident. Passengers who were already inside the terminal boarded their flights, sources said.
T1 has only domestic flight operations by IndiGo and SpiceJet. The airport — which has three terminals T1, T2 and T3 — handles around 1,400 flight movements daily.
A Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) spokesperson said, “Due to heavy rain since early this morning, a portion of the canopy at the old departure forecourt of the Delhi airport’s Terminal-1 collapsed around 5 am. There are injuries reported and emergency personnel are working to provide all necessary assistance and medical aid to those affected.”
As a result of this incident, all departures from Terminal 1 are temporarily suspended and check-in counters have been closed as a safety measure, the spokesperson said in a statement.
NCP MP and former Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, under whose tenure the Terminal 1 was inaugurated in 2009 told media , “It’s unfortunate that a portion of Delhi airport’s Terminal 1 collapsed. I can’t understand the politics being done on this. A building was built 15 years ago and work was being carried out from there. An investigation should be conducted into the incident. A major company, Larsen & Toubro built this airport. Why should politics be done on this? Instead, action should be taken.”
BJP blamed the UPA for 2009 construction of Terminal 1 . Patel ironically was the then civil aviation minister . Patel has since moved away from NCP and ais now with Ajit Pawar faction and part of the NDA .
