Delhi IGI Airport Roof Collapse: Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said on Friday that the roof that collapsed was not part of the building inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but an old building opened in 2009.
After the tragic roof collapse incident at Terminal 1 of Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) killed one person and injured several others, Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu announced a Rs 20-lakh compensation for the deceased and a country-wide inspection.
Delhi Airport, meanwhile, formed a panel to probe the roof-collapse incident.
Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu visited Delhi Airport's Terminal 1 after the incident that took place early morning on Friday after heavy rain.
Addressing mediapersons there, the Aviation minister said a section of the canopy which is outside of the airport collapsed due to heavy rains, adding that everyone was available at the site and they had done a thorough inspection so that no other casualties were there.
Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu also said that the roof that collapsed was not part of the building inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but an old building opened in 2009.
"We are taking this incident seriously...I want to clarify that the building inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi is on the other side and the building that collapsed here is an old building and was opened in 2009...," he said.
The Aviation Minister's clarification came as multiple posts circulated on social media claiming the terminal was inaugurated by PM Modi on March 11, 2024, and was built at Rs 7000 crore.
He said situation is under control at the moment and that rest of the terminal building has been closed and everything is being thoroughly inspected so that there is no further untoward incident here.
"Airports with such structures across the country will be thoroughly inspected," he said.
One person died and several were injured after a portion of the roof of the Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport's Terminal-1 collapsed on cars, including taxis, amid heavy rain early Friday, Delhi Fire Services (DFS) officials said.
Visuals of the aftermath of the incident showed a cab driver stuck in his mangled vehicle with a portion of the roof on it.
Departures and arrivals at IGI Airport Terminal 1 were halted after the roof-collapse incident. All departing and arriving flights from Terminal 3 and Terminal 2 were fully operational.
The civil aviation ministry on Friday said heavy rain has resulted in the collapse of the canopy of Delhi airport T1.
"As a result of which flights to & from Terminal 1 have been closed till further notice. Alternate arrangements are being made for the smooth operation of the flights," the ministry said in a post on X.
T1 has only domestic flight operations by IndiGo and SpiceJet. The airport -- which has three terminals T1, T2 and T3 -- handles around 1,400 flight movements daily.
DIAL (Delhi International Airport Limited) said while the cause for the collapse is being assessed, the primary cause seems to be the continued heavy rainfall over the past few hours.
In the incident, four vehicles were damaged, and eight individuals received minor injuries and were provided immediate medical assistance, DIAL said, adding that a compensation of Rs 20 Lakh to the family of the deceased, and Rs.3 Lakh each to those who received minor injuries has been announced by Delhi airport.
"As a precautionary measure, all flight operations from Terminal 1 have been suspended till further notice and rescheduled by the respective Airlines to operate from Terminal 2 and Terminal 3, till the impacted areas are restored for operations," DIAL said
It said a Technical Committee has been formed to investigate the cause of the incident and that it will give the report as soon as possible.