Shillong, June 28: The Delhi airport roof collapse was a “very serious incident” and DGCA will look into the matter thoroughly, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said on Friday.
Following the canopy collapse at Terminal-1 of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Friday, the Union Minister rushed to the spot to inspect and oversee rescue operations.
At least one person was killed and four others injured in the tragic incident which happened at around 5 a.m. amid heavy rain.
After inspecting the spot, the Minister said, “Today morning at 5, a very unfortunate incident happened at IGI Airport Terminal-1, when a section of the canopy outside of the Airport building collapsed due to heavy rain since night. I express my condolences to the life that has been lost in this tragic incident, and along with that, we are taking care of the four people who are injured. As soon as the incident came to our notice, we reacted immediately, we sent the emergency response team, safety team, CISF and NDRF teams for a thorough inspection to ensure no other casualties were there.”
The minister further said, “As of now, the rest of the terminal building has been closed. Regarding the flights, we have informed the airlines that passengers should not face any inconvenience, hence the flights till 2 p.m. were cancelled. The passengers will get full refunds and other than that if they want to travel from the alternative routes, they will be assisted.”
Earlier the minister wrote on X, “Inspecting the T1 Terminal and reviewing with the officials. All required rescue operations are being conducted at the terminal.”
As the minister went around the affected spot, the officials briefed him about the rescue work.
Many vehicles, including cabs, were damaged in the incident. The canopy sheet and the support beams collapsed, damaging the cars parked in the pick-up and drop area of the terminal.
The NDRF officials were involved in the rescue operations.
All departures from Terminal-1 have been temporarily suspended, and check-in counters closed as a “safety measure”, a Delhi airport spokesperson said. Terminal-1 has only domestic flight operations.
The spokesperson also said that all departing flights from T1 of IndiGo and SpiceJet are cancelled till 2 p.m.Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) spokesperson said, “Due to heavy rain since early this morning, a portion of the canopy at the old Departure forecourt of Delhi Airport’s Terminal 1 collapsed around 5 am. There are injuries reported, and emergency personnel are working to extricate those affected and provide medical attention.”
“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 DIAL spokesperson further said. (IANS)