On Friday morning, heavy rain and severe winds forced a roof at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi to fall, killing one person and canceling flights. Due to an issue at Terminal 1's departure area, flight operations were suspended until 2:00 p.m. local time. Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, India's minister of aviation, declared the terminal completely closed and launched an inquiry into the collapse.
Following the collapse, Terminal 1, which is mostly used for domestic flights by low-cost carriers like IndiGo and SpiceJet, was evacuated. According to Flightradar24, at least 10 aircraft were canceled and 40 were delayed, disturbing many passengers' travel plans. According to Atul Garg, chief of the Delhi Fire Service, emergency services responded swiftly, transferring eight wounded persons to hospitals, and the rescue operation was concluded.
Television footage depicted scenes of damage, including a taxi crushed under a collapsed metal pillar at the terminal's entrance. The incident occurred around 5 a.m., a peak time for domestic flights ferrying passengers across the country, the airport management confirmed in a statement.
According to India's weather office, Delhi had abnormally significant rainfall, with the airport area getting 148.5 millimeters during three hours in the early morning, exceeding the average rainfall for the month of June. The downpour triggered widespread flooding around the city, causing traffic delays, interruptions to metro services, and power outages, according to locals.
According to local officials, at least 20 people have died in adjacent Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, as a result of rain and flood-related accidents in the last 48 hours, including those killed by lightning. The inclement weather has created substantial issues throughout the area, affecting everyday living and transportation services.
GMR Airports Infrastructure, the operator of Delhi International Airport and its major stakeholder with a 64% interest, saw its shares fall up to 2.1% in early trade following the incident at Terminal 1. The airport administration and associated organizations are now focusing on analyzing structural damage and strengthening safety procedures to avoid repeat incidents.
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