New Delhi, India - A tragic incident occurred at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on June 28, 2024, when a section of the roof at Terminal 1 collapsed due to heavy rain. The collapse resulted in one fatality and injuries to eight individuals. The incident caused all departures from Terminal 1 to be suspended.
The roof collapse occurred around 5 a.m., according to Delhi Fire Services Assistant Divisional Officer Ravinder Singh, who led the rescue efforts at the scene. Singh stated that one person was killed when a pillar fell on their car during the incident.
Terminal 1 is India's busiest airport terminal, handling around 1,400 domestic flights daily. The collapse occurred in an older section of the terminal that was not part of recent renovations and expansions.
Heavy rainfall in New Delhi on June 28 brought much-needed relief from the city's record-breaking heatwave but also caused significant damage to infrastructure. According to the India Meteorological Department, Delhi received nearly nine inches of rain in just a few hours, surpassing its average monthly rainfall for June.
The Civil Aviation Ministry promptly advised airlines to monitor any abnormal surge in airfares and cancel or reschedule flights without penal charges. Low-cost carriers IndiGo and SpiceJet, which operate most of their domestic flights from Terminal 1, temporarily moved their operations to other terminals.
The collapse is the latest in a series of infrastructure failures caused by heavy rainfall in India. Last month, at least nine people were killed and dozens injured when a cargo train collided with a passenger train in eastern India. In 2022, over 130 people were killed when a newly renovated suspension bridge collapsed in Morbi, Gujarat.
The monsoon season is set to arrive in Delhi by the end of this week, according to the India Meteorological Department. Last year, monsoon hit Delhi on June 26.
