A roof collapse at New Delhi’s main airport amid heavy rain and strong winds on Friday resulted in one fatality and disrupted flights from one terminal, according to officials and media reports.
The incident occurred at 5 am in the departures area of Terminal 1, where part of the canopy caved in. The airport’s statement on social media site X mentioned injuries and noted that emergency teams are providing necessary assistance and medical aid.
Despite the chaos, flights operated by Dubai-based airlines remain unaffected. A Flydubai spokesperson confirmed that their flights to and from Delhi are running as scheduled, and Emirates does not operate from Terminal 1.
Reports indicate that three people were injured, and one person was trapped under the debris. All flights departing from Terminal 1, used by low-cost carriers IndiGo and SpiceJet, were canceled until 2 pm.
This affected two regular flights to the UAE: IndiGo’s flight 6E 1461, scheduled to depart at 8:50 am, and SpiceJet’s flight SG 11, scheduled for 7:45 am.
Visuals from the scene showed water streaming from the collapsed roof and a taxi crushed under a pillar, with ongoing rain causing flooded roads and traffic jams. India’s aviation minister stated that he is monitoring the situation closely and that first responders are actively working at the site.
Delhi and the surrounding National Capital Region experienced heavy rainfall and thunderstorms early on Friday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasted cloudy skies and varying intensities of rain with gusty winds for the coming days.
For June 28, light to moderate rain or thunderstorms were predicted, with temperatures similar to the previous day and winds up to 35 km/h.
On June 29, the weather is expected to be slightly cooler with a high of 36ºC and a low of 28ºC, along with light to moderate rain or thunderstorms and wind speeds of 30-40 km/h. June 30 will see temperatures dropping to 34ºC, with moderate to heavy rain and gusty winds.
