Roof Collapse at India’s Busiest Airport Terminal

During the early hours of Friday, a section of the roof at a terminal in India’s busiest airport collapsed amidst severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall, resulting in injuries and the entrapment of passengers. Consequently, all departures from the terminal were halted.

India’s Minister of Civil Aviation took to social media to announce that rescue operations were underway at Terminal 1 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, with emergency responders actively present at the site. The collapse occurred at approximately 5 a.m. local time within the departure area of the terminal, leading to the suspension of all departures. Notably, Terminal 1 primarily caters to domestic flights.

Reports from the Press Trust of India, citing local fire officials, indicated that part of the roof fell onto the pickup and drop-off area outside the terminal, resulting in the destruction of multiple vehicles. At least six individuals sustained injuries as a result of the incident.

Flight operations were significantly impacted, with over 600 flights delayed and 17 canceled by 8 a.m., as reported by FlightAware, a flight information tracking platform.

Recently renovated and expanded, Terminal 1 at the Indira Gandhi International Airport was designed to accommodate up to 40 million passengers annually, as outlined in a press release from the airport authorities.

This is an evolving situation.