A tragic incident occurred at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport when a part of the roof at Terminal 1 collapsed due to heavy rainfall early Friday morning.
This unfortunate event led to the death of one person and injuries to at least eight others.
New Delhi Airport Tragedy Strikes Hard
The collapse happened around 5 a.m. at one of New Delhi's busiest airports, following nearly nine inches of rain that pounded the city overnight.
This amount of rainfall exceeds the typical June average for New Delhi, putting a strain on the recently renovated terminal. Despite the upgrades completed earlier this year, which aimed to double the airport's capacity, the affected area was part of an older section not included in the recent improvements.
As per Forbes, Delhi Fire Services reported that the falling debris crushed several cars, including taxis, parked near the terminal at the time of the collapse. The impact of the incident was severe enough to cause all domestic flights at the terminal to be delayed or canceled, creating chaos for travelers.
Rescue operations were promptly initiated, with teams assisting the injured and clearing the wreckage.
Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, India's minister of civil aviation, was at the scene to oversee the efforts and ensure the safety of other parts of the airport.
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Airport Closure Stalls Flight Plans
Terminal 1 (T1) at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi will remain closed for an undetermined period after a section of its roof collapsed during heavy rainfall last Friday.
The accident resulted in the death of a cab driver and injuries to eight other people.
New Delhi faced an unexpected tragedy when the roof of its busy airport terminal gave way early in the morning, leading to the immediate suspension of all domestic flights from this terminal.
In a report released by Hindustan Times, airlines such as IndiGo and SpiceJet, which primarily use T1 for their domestic routes, have had to move their operations to the other, busier terminals, T2 and T3.
A senior government official announced on Sunday that experts, including engineers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, are set to conduct a detailed technical study of the damaged terminal.
The results of this study are expected within a month, and decisions on when to reopen T1 will depend on these findings.
Until further information is available and repairs are made, T1's doors will stay shut, impacting many travelers and causing shifts in flight schedules across New Delhi.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has emphasized the importance of safety and thorough inspections before any operations can resume.
This closure could last a few months as assessments, and repairs are meticulously carried out to prevent such incidents from happening again. They believe that it is affecting the travel plans of thousands and testing the resilience of New Delhi's infrastructure against its challenging monsoon season.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
