Roof Collapse At Delhi Airport's Terminal 1 Kills One, Injures Six; Flights Suspended

A section of the roof at Delhi airport's Terminal 1 (T1) collapsed on vehicles this morning due to heavy rain, resulting in one fatality and six injuries. Consequently, all departures from Terminal 1, which serves only domestic flights, have been temporarily halted, according to the civil aviation ministry.

The ministry posted on X, "Heavy rain early this morning caused the collapse of the canopy at Delhi airport Terminal 1. As a result, flights to and from Terminal 1 have been suspended until further notice. Alternate arrangements are being made to ensure the smooth operation of flights."

Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, visited the site to inspect the damage. He announced that operations would temporarily shift to Terminals 2 and 3.

The newly-elected minister described the incident as "very serious" and stated that a thorough inspection of the airport's structure would be conducted. The technical reasons for the collapse will be identified following the investigation. He also announced compensation of ₹20 lakh for the deceased's family and ₹3 lakh for each injured person.

Terminal 1 hosts domestic flights for IndiGo and SpiceJet. The airport, one of the busiest globally, has three terminals (T1, T2, and T3) and handles around 1,400 flights daily. Officials reported that the collapse of the roof sheet and support beams damaged four cars in the terminal's pick-up and drop-off area. The incident was reported to Delhi Fire Services around 5:30 am.

During rescue operations, a man was seen being extracted from a car crushed by a fallen iron beam.

IndiGo and SpiceJet have canceled flights due to the damage at Terminal 1. IndiGo stated that its operations were disrupted as passengers could not enter the terminal. "Passengers already inside can board their flights, but those scheduled for later will be offered alternatives," an IndiGo spokesperson said. The airline advised customers to check their flight status before heading to the airport.

SpiceJet also canceled its flights until further notice, advising passengers to monitor its social media channels for updates.

Delhi experienced heavy rainfall for the second consecutive day, bringing relief from the heat but also causing widespread waterlogging. The Safdarjung Observatory recorded 154 mm of rainfall between yesterday and this morning, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Visuals shared on X by ANI showed flooded roads and long traffic jams in various parts of Delhi.