One person was killed after a portion of the canopy at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport’s departure terminal collapsed on Friday due to monsoon rains. Officials confirmed six others were injured during the collapse. The incident led to the temporary suspension of all flight departures from Terminal 1 as rescuers worked to clear the debris and rescue anyone who may have been trapped. Terminal 1 is used for domestic operations at the main airport in New Delhi, India. The injured were taken to a hospital for treatment, with one person being rescued from a car trapped under the collapsed structure.
A portion of the roof and support beams at the departure forecourt collapsed at around 5 a.m. local time causing significant damage to cars in the pickup and drop-off area at the terminal. Emergency services responded quickly to the scene, with one injured person being rescued from a car that had been crushed by an iron beam. A taxi driver, Anees Khan, described hearing a loud noise followed by the collapse of the roof, which resulted in several cars being buried under the debris. Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu visited the airport to assess the damage and oversee the shifting of boarding operations to other terminals affected.
The intense rainfall on Friday was the first significant downpour of the monsoon season in New Delhi, causing flooding in the streets and traffic snarls across the city. The India Meteorological Department reported that nearly 9 inches of rain had fallen in the past 24 hours – almost three times the average amount for the entire month of June. This heavy rain followed a severe heatwave that claimed the lives of at least 100 individuals in India, including in the capital city of New Delhi.
India is known to be vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, with experts warning that erratic monsoon rains are leading to extreme weather events such as floods and landslides. A report by the Reserve Bank of India projected that the country could spend over $1 trillion by 2030 to adapt to the effects of climate change. Climate experts believe that the changing rainfall patterns are a direct result of global warming and could worsen in the coming years if steps are not taken to mitigate the impact. The collapsed canopy at the airport is just one example of the destructive consequences of extreme weather events brought on by climate change.
As rescue efforts continued and the investigation into the collapse of the airport terminal canopy proceeded, passengers and airport staff were being re-routed to other areas of the airport to minimize disruptions to flight operations. With the monsoon season set to last until the end of September, authorities are preparing for more such incidents of heavy rainfall and the potential for further damage. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need to address the effects of climate change on infrastructure and the safety of individuals in vulnerable regions such as India. The tragic loss of life and injuries resulting from the collapse add to the mounting toll of extreme weather events around the world, underscoring the need for global action to fight climate change and its devastating consequences.
