On Friday, June 28, one of the busiest airports in the Indian capital, New Delhi, the Delhi Airport (Indira Gandhi International Airport), witnessed the collapse of the roof of its first terminal building due to heavy rain and strong winds. The incident resulted in 1 death and 8 injuries, leading to the cancellation of flights at the terminal.
According to Reuters, a part of the ceiling in the departure area of the first terminal building at the Delhi Airport collapsed in the early morning of the 28th, leading to the closure of flight operations until 2 p.m. local time.
Indian Minister of Civil Aviation, Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu, stated that the crowd in the entire terminal building had been evacuated, and an investigation into the collapse incident has been ordered.
Data from the flight tracking platform Flightradar24 revealed that the roof collapse incident resulted in the cancellation of at least 10 flights and delays for 40 flights.
Atul Garg, the Chief of the Delhi Fire Department, mentioned that 8 injured individuals have been taken to the hospital, and rescue operations have concluded.
The terminal building primarily serves low-cost carriers IndiGo and SpiceJet.
A video from the scene showed a taxi trapped under a metal pillar at the entrance of the terminal building.
In a statement posted on social media, the airport mentioned that the collapse occurred at 5 a.m. on the 28th, typically the busiest time for domestic flights.
Data from the Indian Meteorological Department indicated that the airport area received approximately 148.5 millimeters of rainfall in a span of three hours in the early morning, exceeding the average rainfall for the entire month of June.
The heavy rain led to flooding in Delhi, with cars submerged in water. Metro services were also affected, causing traffic jams in multiple areas and power outages in some regions.
Officials in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, the most densely populated northern region of India, reported that the floods in the past 48 hours have resulted in at least 20 deaths, with 7 fatalities due to lightning strikes.
GMR Airport Infrastructure Limited is the largest shareholder of the Delhi International Airport, holding a 64% stake. The company’s stock price dropped by 2.1% in early trading on the 28th.
The first terminal at the Delhi Airport was closed after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and reopened at the end of October last year. Expansion works were completed in March this year, with the current annual passenger throughput standing at 17 million.