Delhi Airport: One Dead In Roof Collapse, Minister Announces Ex Gratia

A person died and at least six people were injured as a portion of the canopy of Terminal 1 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi collapsed on Friday morning. Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh for the deceased and Rs 3 lakh to the injured.

The collapse around 5:00 a.m. came amid heavy rain and damaged many vehicles, including cabs parked in the pickup and drop areas. The roof sheet and the support beams collapsed, leading to the caving in of the canopy at an old departure forecourt, NDTV quoted fire services officials as saying.

Those injured were admitted to a hospital near the airport. One of them succumbed to injuries during treatment, PTI quoted officials as saying.

A person was rescued from a car on which an iron beam had fallen. Search operations are underway to rescue and ensure no one else is trapped, the DFS officials said.

"As a result of this incident, all departures from Terminal 1 are temporarily suspended, and check-in counters are closed as a safety measure," a Delhi International Airport Ltd. spokesperson said. "We sincerely regret this disruption and apologise for any inconvenience caused."

Aviation Minister Kinjarapu said the airlines had been advised to assist all affected passengers. He arrived at the airport to take stock of the situation after the incident.

The incident prompted all departing flights out of the terminal to be put on hold. IndiGo and SpiceJet flights flying out of Terminal One have been cancelled till 2:00 p.m., Delhi airport authorities said in a social media post.