New Delhi: The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) on Friday announced that a technical committee has been formed to investigate the cause of the incident. In a statement, the DIAL said the technical committee will give the report as soon as possible.
“Due to heavy rains and winds through the night in Delhi, a canopy at the old departure forecourt of Terminal 1 (T1) partially collapsed around 5 am this morning. While the cause for the collapse is being assessed, the primary cause seems to be the continued heavy rainfall over the past few hours,” the statement said.
The statement highlighted that rescue operations were launched immediately by the Delhi Airport Emergency Response Team including Fire Fighting, Medical Team and Operations, who provided all necessary support and assistance. Evacuation of passengers and all other individuals from T1 was the first priority and complete evacuation has been undertaken, it added.
DIAL is working with all relevant agencies, including Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Bureau of Civil Aviation (BCAS), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Delhi Police and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are jointly working to assess the situation and restore operations, the statement mentioned.
At least one person was killed and six others were injured after a portion of the roof of Terminal 1 at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport collapsed on cars amid heavy rain on Thursday morning.
A spokesperson for the Delhi airport stated that all departures from Terminal 1 have been temporarily suspended, and check-in counters have been closed as a “safety measure.” Terminal 1 handles only domestic flight operations. Departing flights of IndiGo and SpiceJet from Terminal 1 are cancelled until 2 pm on Friday.
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- The incident, reported to the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) around 5:30 am, involved the collapse of the roof sheet and support beams, damaging vehicles parked in the pick-up and drop-off area of the terminal. Several cabs were among the vehicles damaged in the incident.
#UPDATE | One person died after a portion of the canopy at Delhi Airport’s Terminal 1 collapsed today: Delhi Fire Service pic.twitter.com/k6c4cHlcxD
— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) June 28, 2024
- During rescue operations, a man was extricated from a car on which an iron beam had fallen.
- In an official statement, Delhi airport authorities said a portion of the canopy at the old departure forecourt of Terminal 1 collapsed “due to heavy rain since early this morning.”
- “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 are closed as a safety measure. We sincerely regret this disruption and apologize for any inconvenience caused,” the statement read.
- Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said he was “personally monitoring” the incident and that the injured had been hospitalized.
- “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,” the newly-elected minister posted on X.
- IndiGo confirmed that its flight operations were impacted due to structural damage to Terminal 1. In a statement, the low-cost carrier said that the incident had led to flight cancellations in Delhi as “passengers are not able to enter the terminal.”
