New Delhi | One person died and six were injured after a portion of the roof of the Delhi airport's Terminal-1 collapsed on cars, including taxis, amid heavy rain early Friday, leading to suspension of flight departures, according to officials.
Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said he was monitoring the situation and the injured had been hospitalised.
Delhi Fire Services (DFS) officials said three fire tenders were rushed to Terminal-1 (T1) of the airport after a call about the incident was received around 5:30 am.
Besides the roof sheet, the support beams collapsed, damaging the cars parked in the pick-up and drop area of the terminal. A search operation was conducted to make sure no one was trapped inside the damaged vehicles, they said.
The injured persons have been admitted to Medanta Hospital near the airport. Of the six injured, one person was rescued from a car on which an iron beam had fallen, 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 of Delhi Police, DFS, Central Industrial Security Force and National Disaster Response Force are present at the spot, the DCP said.
In a post on X, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said, "Personally monitoring the roof collapse incident at T1 Delhi Airport. First responders are working at site. Also advised the airlines to assist all affected passengers at T1." "The injured have been evacuated to hospital. Rescue operations are still ongoing," he said.
Sources said flight departures at T1, which handles only domestic flight operations, have been suspended till 2 pm and the airport operator is looking to temporarily shift operations to T2 and T3.
The flight departures were suspended soon after the roof collapse incident. Passengers who were already inside the terminal boarded their flights, they said.
A Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) spokesperson said in a statement, "Due to heavy rain since early this morning, a portion of the canopy at the old departure forecourt of the 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, the spokesperson said, all departures from Terminal 1 are temporarily suspended and check-in counters have been closed as a safety measure.
The suspension of departures 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 due to 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 cancelled as T1 will remain partially closed for operations until further notice.