Delhi airport T-1 stops operations after roof collapses, cab driver dead, 6 injured

A cab driver died and six people were injured after a portion of a canopy at Delhi airport’s Terminal-1 collapsed on cars amid heavy rain early Friday, leading to the suspension of flight departures, according to officials.

Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu visited Terminal-1 (T1) to assess the situation. He said he was monitoring the situation and the injured had been hospitalised.

Delhi Fire Services (DFS) officials said three fire tenders were dispatched to Terminal-1 after receiving a call about the incident around 5:30 am.

In addition to the roof sheet, the support beams collapsed, damaging cars parked in the pick-up and drop area of the terminal. A search operation was conducted to ensure no one was trapped inside the damaged vehicles, they said.

The injured have been admitted to Medanta Hospital near the airport. One of them was rescued from a car on which an iron beam had fallen and was later identified as Ramesh Kumar, they added.

Work was underway to clear the debris.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI) Usha Rangnani said due to heavy rains, the shed outside Terminal-1 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), spanning from departure gate no. 1 to gate no. 2, collapsed around 5 am, damaging four vehicles.

One person died and six people were injured in the incident. All the injured are stable, she said.

Teams from Delhi Police, DFS, Central Industrial Security Force, and National Disaster Response Force are present at the site, the DCP said.

A police official said the deceased was identified as Ramesh Kumar (45), a taxi driver and a resident of Rohini in Delhi.

The injured have been identified as Santosh Kumar Yadav (28), Subham Shah (30), Dashrat Ahirwar (25), Arvind Goswami (34), Sahil Kundan (27), and Yogesh Dhawan (44). They are residents of Delhi, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh, the official said.

Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu visited the airport terminal and assessed the situation.

“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,” he said in a post on X.

“The injured have been evacuated to the hospital. Rescue operations are still ongoing,” he added.

The Civil Aviation Ministry said flight operations at T1 have been suspended until further notice.

“Heavy rain early this morning has resulted in the collapse of the canopy at #DelhiAirport Terminal 1. As a result, flights to and from Terminal 1 have been closed until further notice. Alternate arrangements are being made for the smooth operation of the flights,” the ministry said in a post on X.

Flight departures were suspended soon after the roof collapse incident. Passengers already inside the terminal boarded their flights, sources said.

T1 handles only domestic flight operations by IndiGo and SpiceJet. The airport, which has three terminals (T1, T2, and T3), handles around 1,400 flight movements daily.

A Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) spokesperson said, “Due to heavy rain early this morning, a portion of the canopy at the old departure forecourt of Delhi airport’s Terminal-1 collapsed around 5 am. There are injuries reported and emergency personnel are working to provide all necessary assistance and medical aid to those affected.”

As a result of this incident, all departures from Terminal 1 are temporarily suspended and check-in counters have been closed as a safety measure, the spokesperson said in a statement.

The suspension of operations at the terminal also led to the cancellation of some flights.

In a statement, an IndiGo spokesperson said flight operations are impacted due to structural damage at T1 caused by adverse weather conditions.

“This has led to flight cancellations in Delhi as passengers are not able to enter the terminal. Passengers already inside the terminal will be able to board their planned flights, but those with flights later in the day will be offered alternatives,” the airline said in a statement.

SpiceJet said in a post on X that flights have been canceled as T1 will remain partially closed for operations until further notice. (With inputs from PTI)