The roof of Terminal 1 at Delhi airport collapsed early Friday morning, resulting in the death of one person and injuring six others. The collapse, which occurred around 5 a.m. following heavy rainfall, buried taxis stationed nearby and damaged four vehicles. In response, airport authorities have temporarily suspended all departures from Terminal 1.
Personnel from Delhi police, fire services, CISF, and the National Disaster Response Force are currently at the scene conducting rescue operations. The Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, stated on X that he is personally overseeing the situation and that first responders are actively working on-site. Injured individuals have been transported to the hospital, and rescue efforts are ongoing.
The deceased has been identified as 45-year-old Ramesh Kumar. The injured are Santosh Kumar Yadav, Shubham Shah, Dashrath Ahirwar, Arvind Goswami, Sahil Sudan, and Yogesh Dhawan, according to Delhi Police.
A spokesperson for Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) explained that heavy rains caused a portion of the canopy at the old departure forecourt of Terminal 1 to collapse. Emergency personnel are providing necessary assistance and medical aid to those affected. Consequently, all departures from Terminal 1 have been suspended, and check-in counters are closed as a precaution. The spokesperson expressed regret for the disruption and apologized for any inconvenience caused.
IndiGo, the airline most affected by the incident, issued helpline numbers for passengers. The airline’s spokesperson noted that flight operations are impacted due to structural damage at Terminal 1, leading to cancellations as passengers cannot enter the terminal. The situation has also affected operations across the network, and passengers are advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport.
SpiceJet also advised its customers to contact them for alternate options or a full refund.
“Due to bad weather (heavy rains), SpiceJet flights have been cancelled as Terminal 1 of Delhi Airport will remain partially closed for operations until further notice. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. Please contact us at +91 (0)124 4983410/+91 (0)124 7101600 for alternate options or full refund or refer to changes.SpiceJet.com. Please keep a watch on our Social Media channels for further update,” the airline made a statement on X.
