Delhi Airport Roof Collapse: SpiceJet, IndiGo Suspend Flights

In a tragic turn of events early Friday morning, the Delhi Airport’s Terminal 1 faced a catastrophic roof collapse amid heavy rainfall, resulting in one fatality and injuring five others.

The incident occurred at around 5 a.m., when a portion of the terminal’s roof spanning from departure gate no. 1 to gate no. 2 collapsed, damaging several vehicles, including taxis parked below.

DCP Usha Rangnani of IGI confirmed the grim details, stating that the collapse affected around four vehicles and injured six individuals, one of whom tragically lost their life. Despite the chaos and disruption caused by the incident, all injured persons were reported to be in stable condition.

Following the collapse, Terminal 1 was promptly evacuated, and operations were suspended until further notice. Minister Naidu announced that flights scheduled to depart or arrive at Terminal 1 until 2 p.m. were canceled, with arrangements made for later flights to operate from Terminal 2 and Terminal 3.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) announced plans for a comprehensive expert audit of the airport’s infrastructure in response to what Minister Naidu described as a “very serious” incident. The investigation aims to uncover technical causes and other pertinent details surrounding the collapse.

In light of the tragic loss of life, Minister Naidu also pledged compensation of ₹20 lakh to the victim’s family and ₹3 lakh each to the injured. The aftermath of the collapse led to significant delays in flights and contributed to extensive traffic congestion near the airport.

IndiGo Airlines took swift action in response to the incident, canceling all flights to and from Terminal 1 due to the partial closure caused by the roof collapse. Check-in counters were closed, and departures were temporarily suspended as authorities worked to assess the structural integrity of the affected area.