Roof collapses at Terminal 1 of Delhi airport, 1 dead; all departures suspended

One person was killed and six other sustained injuries after the roof at Delhi airport’s Terminal 1 collapsed around 5am on Friday following torrential rainfall that lashed the national capital.

Taxis stationed at the city side of the terminal were buried and four vehicles were damaged in the incident. Airport authorities have temporarily suspended all departures from T1. Personnel from the Delhi police, fire services, CISF and the National Disaster Response Force are present at the site to carry out rescue operations.

“I am personally monitoring the roof collapse incident at T1 Delhi Airport. First responders are working at the site. Also advised the airlines to assist all affected passengers at T1. The injured have been evacuated to hospital. Rescue operations are still ongoing,” Union minister of civil aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu posted on X.

“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. Emergency personnel are working to provide all necessary assistance and medical aid to those affected,” a Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) spokesperson said.

“As a result of this incident, all departures from Terminal 1 are temporarily suspended, and check-in counters are closed as a safety measure. We sincerely regret this disruption and apologise for any inconvenience caused,” the spokesperson added.

IndiGo, the airline that was most impacted due to the incident, issued helpline numbers for its passengers.

“IndiGo flight operations are impacted due to structural damage to Terminal 1, Delhi Airport because of adverse weather conditions. This has led to flight cancellations at Delhi as passengers are not able to enter the terminal…This unplanned situation has also led to operations across the network being impacted. Customers are advised to keep a track of and confirm their flight status before leaving for the airport,” the airline spokesperson said.

SpiceJet, too, asked its customers to get in touch with 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 said in a statement on X.