Roof Collapse at Delhi Airport’s Terminal 1: One Dead, Eight Injured

New Delhi, June 28, 2024 – A tragic incident occurred at Terminal 1 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport early on Friday morning when a portion of the terminal’s canopy collapsed, resulting in the death of one person and injuries to eight others. The collapse happened around 5 am, prompting immediate emergency response and investigation into the cause of the structural failure.

The collapsed portion of the terminal was part of a 15-year-old structure originally built during the tenure of Praful Patel, who served as the Minister of State for Civil Aviation with independent charge from May 2004 to January 2011. Patel is currently a member of the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party and part of the ruling NDA bloc.

GMR, the operator of the airport, clarified that the collapsed section was from the old departure terminal, constructed during the UPA years, and not from the recently inaugurated parts of the terminal. The expansion of Terminal 1 is in its final stages, with plans to shut down the old structure in another month.

“The expansion of Terminal 1 is in the last lap and in another month, the old structure is to be shut down. This is a 15-year-old structure, part of the old departure terminal,” a GMR official told The Telegraph Online.

The collapsed structure was inaugurated in 2009, during the UPA government’s tenure. The current Union Civil Aviation Minister, K. Rammohan Naidu, visited the accident site shortly after the incident and announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh to the family of the deceased and Rs 3 lakh to each of the injured individuals. He also ordered a thorough investigation into the collapse.

“The technical reasons and other aspects of the incident will be known after the investigation,” Minister Naidu stated. He confirmed that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will supervise the inspection and is tasked with submitting a detailed report on the incident. Additionally, the airport operator, Delhi International Airport Limited, has been directed to conduct a comprehensive inspection of the structure.

In light of this tragedy, Minister Naidu emphasized the need for stringent safety checks and announced that a thorough inspection of similar structures at airports across the country will be carried out to prevent such incidents in the future.

The collapse at Terminal 1 has brought to attention the urgent need for infrastructure scrutiny and maintenance, particularly in aging structures. As the investigation proceeds, the focus will be on understanding the root cause of the collapse and implementing measures to enhance the safety and reliability of airport facilities nationwide.