Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI) Usha Rangnani stated that due to heavy rains, the shed outside Terminal 1, spanning from departure Gate No. 1 to Gate No. 2, collapsed, damaging four vehicles
A roof collapse at Terminal 1 of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport early this morning killed a cab driver and injured six people, causing a suspension of flight departures.
The incident occurred at around 3:30 am when a portion of the canopy at Terminal 1 fell on cars amid heavy rain. Both the roof sheet and support beams collapsed, damaging vehicles parked in the pick-up and drop area.
Arvind Goswami, an airport staff member who was injured, recounted his experience. “The incident took place at around 3:30 am. I, along with other staff, was working under the shed that collapsed. Rainwater was flooding near the VIP gate at the airport, and our duty was at Gate 1. The supervisor instructed us to pump out the water from the VIP gate,” he said. “Suddenly, I heard a sound like lightning, and when I looked back, everything was collapsing. As we all ran, debris fell on my head and I lost consciousness. I was then taken to the hospital by people at the scene. For me, it is like escaping from the jaws of death,” he added.
Another staff member, Dashrath Ahirwa, described a similar frightening experience. “At around 3:15 am, we were pumping out rainwater that was seeping inside when suddenly I saw the ceiling of the building falling. When the glass broke, it fell on me, causing a severe head injury. There were many people working in the area at the time of the collapse,” said the 25-year-old.
All the injured were taken to Medanta Hospital near the airport. One person was rescued from a car on which an iron beam had fallen.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI) Usha Rangnani stated that due to heavy rains, the shed outside Terminal 1, spanning from departure Gate No. 1 to Gate No. 2, collapsed, damaging four vehicles.
The injured have been identified as Santosh Kumar Yadav (28), Subham Shah (30), Sahil Kundan (27), and Yogesh Dhawan (44).
Due to the incident, all departures from Terminal 1 are currently suspended, and check-in counters have been closed as a safety measure.
