At least one individual lost their life, and eight others sustained injuries following the collapse of a section of the roof at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Airport Terminal-1, which fell onto cars early Friday. Consequently, all flight departures from the terminal were temporarily halted.
This incident coincided with a day of continuous rainfall in the national capital, with the Safdarjung base station recording 228.1 mm of rain in the past 24 hours until 8:30 am.
A spokesperson for Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) commented, “Due to heavy rain since early this morning, a portion of the canopy at the old Departure forecourt of 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.”
He further mentioned that all departures from Terminal 1 are on hold, and check-in counters are closed as a precautionary measure.
According to PTI, citing fire department officials, one person is believed to be trapped under the collapsed structure.
Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjar, posted on X about his active involvement in monitoring the incident at T1. He stated, “First responders are working at site. Also advised the airlines to assist all affected passengers at T1. The injured have been evacuated to hospital. Rescue operations are still ongoing.”
Delhi experienced heavy rainfall, leading the India Meteorological Department to predict continued moderate to intense rain in the area for the next few hours. The intense showers resulted in waterlogging in various parts of the capital. As of 8:30 am, Safdarjung had recorded 153.7 mm of rain, and Palam airport had 93 mm.
Due to the heavy rains, IMD officials issued an advisory to be cautious of slippery roads, reduced visibility, traffic disruptions, and localized flooding in low-lying areas. They recommended avoiding areas prone to waterlogging, checking for traffic congestion, and staying updated with weather warnings.
Flight departures from Terminal 1 were halted until 2 pm, as reported by PTI, citing sources. The sources also indicated that the airport operator is considering temporarily relocating operations from T1 to T2 and T3.
Passengers already inside the terminal were able to board their flights.
An IndiGo spokesperson explained that flight operations were affected due to structural damage at the terminal. “This 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,” the airline stated.
SpiceJet also announced on X that flights were cancelled, noting that T1 would remain partially closed for operations until further notice.