New Delhi: Heavy rainfall led to a portion of the roof at Delhi airport's Terminal 1 (T1) on June 27 collapsing onto parked vehicles, resulting in the death of one individual and injuries to six others.
As a precautionary measure, all departures from Terminal 1, which handles only domestic flights, have been suspended, and check-in counters are closed, according to a spokesperson for the airport.
Departures from T1 are cancelled until 2 pm today.
Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, visited the site and described the incident as "very serious."
He announced compensation for the victims and stated that airport operations would be temporarily shifted to Terminals 2 and 3.
The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) received reports of the incident at around 5:30 am, noting that the roof sheet and support beams had collapsed, damaging cars in the pick-up and drop-off area of Indira Gandhi International Airport, one of the world's busiest airports.
During rescue efforts, a man was extricated from a vehicle struck by an iron beam.
In an official statement, Delhi airport confirmed that a section of the canopy at the old Departure forecourt of Terminal 1 collapsed due to heavy rainfall since early morning.
The statement mentioned injuries and assured that emergency personnel are providing necessary assistance and medical aid. As a safety measure, all departures from Terminal 1 are suspended, and check-in counters are closed.
The airport expressed regret for the disruption and inconvenience caused.
Impact on Flights: IndiGo and SpiceJet have both cancelled flights due to the structural damage at Terminal 1.
IndiGo stated that passengers inside the terminal could board their flights, while those scheduled to fly later would be offered alternatives.
The airline advised customers to check their flight status before heading to the airport. SpiceJet also cancelled its flights until further notice, advising passengers to monitor social media for updates.
Weather in Delhi: The heavy rainfall in Delhi, continuing for the second day, brought relief from the heat but caused waterlogging in many areas of the city.
The Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi's primary weather station, recorded 154 mm of rainfall between yesterday and this morning.
The temperature dropped to 35.4 degrees Celsius following the rain on Thursday.
