The incident came amid heavy rains in the Indian capital, after weeks of scorching heat
A portion of the roof at the main airport in India’s capital New Delhi collapsed on Friday, killing at least one person and injuring eight others.
The incident occurred at Terminal 1 amid heavy rainfall due to the onset of monsoons. “Emergency personnel are working to provide all necessary assistance and medical aid to those affected,” a Delhi airport spokesperson stated.
All departures from Terminal 1 have been suspended until 2 p.m. local time, and check-in counters closed. “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,” IndiGo, India’s largest airline, said in a statement.
The PTI news agency earlier reported that one person was trapped under debris.
Indian Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu stated that he was “personally monitoring” the situation. “First responders are working at the site. I have also advised the airlines to assist all affected passengers at T1,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter). “The injured have been evacuated to hospitals. Rescue operations are still ongoing.” The minister announced compensation of 2 million rupees ($24,000) for the family of the deceased and 300,000 rupees ($3,600) for those injured.
The incident has triggered a political row in India, with the largest opposition party citing “corruption and criminal negligence” as reasons for the collapse. “Our heartfelt condolences to the victims of the Delhi airport tragedy,” Mallikarjun Kharge, president of the Indian National Congress, wrote on X. “They bore the brunt of a corrupt, inept, and selfish government.” Kharge also cited other instances when infrastructure built during Narendra Modi’s tenure as prime minister had collapsed.
Modi inaugurated the revamped Terminal 1 at Delhi airport on March 10, ahead of the general parliamentary elections. His Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) eventually won the election with the help of allies, returning Modi as prime minister for a third term. The BJP was unable to secure a parliamentary majority.
In recent months, operations at Delhi airport have been disrupted multiple times, mainly due to hoax terror threats. Earlier in June, two teenagers were detained for sending false bomb threats to the airport. The minors later claimed they did it “for fun,” according to local media.
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