A portion of the roof of Delhi International Airport (DEL)’s Terminal 1 roof has collapsed due to heavy rainfall and winds, resulting in the death of at least one person and injuries to several others.
The incident occurred around 05:00 local time on June 28, 2024, when the airport area received about 148.5mm of rain in a span of just three hours, more than the average for all of June, according to India’s weather office.
A portion of the canopy at the departure area of Terminal 1 collapsed, and flight operations were then shut down until 14:00 local time.
During a press briefing, India’s Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu told reporters that the entire terminal had been evacuated and an investigation into the collapse ordered.
Video footage and photographs posted on social media platforms such as X (formerly known as Twitter) show pillars supporting the roof smashing into cars parked along the airport’s Terminal 1.
Airport officials said that the roof sheet and the support beams gave in, damaging four cars parked in the pick-up and drop area of the terminal.
Reports indicate that one person has died, with six others injured.
Naidu stated that a compensation fee of two million rupees ($24,000) will be paid to the family of the deceased, and 300,000 rupees ($3,600) to those injured.
The minister also declared that all flights scheduled until 14:00 have been canceled, with affected passengers receiving full refunds or alternate flight options. Flights scheduled to depart from Terminal 1 were diverted to Terminals 2 and 3 of the airport.
Flight tracking site Flightradar24 showed that at least 10 flights were canceled and another 40 delayed, while departures from Delhi airport were running late by an average of 50 minutes.
The airport confirmed the incident on social media, saying that emergency personnel are working to provide all necessary assistance and medical aid to those affected.