A tragic incident occurred at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) early Friday morning, when a roof at Terminal 1 collapsed, claiming one life and injuring six individuals. The collapse happened as heavy rain lashed the city, with the roof caving in on cars, including taxis parked underneath.
The incident has led to the suspension of flight operations at Terminal 1 until further notice, with alternate arrangements being made for passengers. Union Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu visited the site to assess the situation and announced a thorough inspection of the terminal’s structure to ensure the safety of passengers and staff. Compensation will be provided to the family of the deceased and the injured, with the minister also visiting the injured at AIIMS and announcing a compensation of ₹ 20 lakh for the deceased and ₹ 3 lakh for the injured.
The incident has sparked a political firestorm, with the Congress party accusing the Modi government of corruption and negligence. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge claimed that the collapse was a result of shoddy infrastructure and blamed the past ten years of the Modi government for the incident. He cited examples like the Jabalpur airport roof collapse and the poor condition of Ayodhya’s new roads to support his claims.
However, the Civil Aviation Minister clarified that the collapsed canopy was part of the old structure built in 2009, while BJP leader Amit Malviya highlighted that the part of Terminal 1 that collapsed was opened in 2009 during the Congress-led UPA government. The Trinamool Congress also criticized the government for the incident, accusing them of prioritizing optics over safety and highlighting the irony of the collapse given the Prime Minister’s emphasis on ‘guarantees’.
An investigation has been ordered into the incident, with MoS for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol assuring that the injured are receiving proper medical attention and that Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 continue to operate normally. The DGCA has been instructed to conduct a high-level inquiry into the incident, while airlines operating from Terminal 1 are providing refunds or alternative flights to affected passengers. Furthermore, a detailed structural inspection of all airports will be conducted.
The Delhi Airport roof collapse incident has highlighted the importance of structural safety and maintenance, particularly during adverse weather conditions. The investigation will focus on identifying the root cause of the collapse and determining whether any negligence or lapses in maintenance contributed to the tragic event.
