A section of the canopy at Terminal 1 of New Delhi’s international airport collapsed early on Friday (June 28) due to heavy rains, resulting in the death of one person and injuries to eight others. The incident occurred only months after the terminal underwent a refurbishment project inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Emergency services responded swiftly to the scene. “Eight people have been injured, one person is dead. Rescue operations have been completed,” stated Atul Garg, director of Delhi Fire Services. Airport authorities confirmed that all departing flights from Terminal 1 were canceled until early afternoon. Meanwhile, other terminals continued normal operations, including arrivals at Terminal 1.
Images circulated on social media showed vehicles crushed under large steel girders at the departure forecourt, highlighting the extent of the damage. Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu clarified at the scene, “The building inaugurated by Narendra Modi is on the other side and the building that collapsed here is an old building and was opened in 2009.”
This incident raises concerns about safety and construction standards in India, particularly following other recent infrastructure failures. Last year, a road tunnel collapse in Uttarakhand trapped over 40 workers for nearly two weeks. More recently, a railway bridge under construction in Mizoram collapsed, killing at least 18 laborers.
Opposition leaders were quick to criticize Modi. Congress party spokesman accused the prime minister of rushing inaugurations before elections. Priyanka Gandhi, a senior Congress figure, questioned Modi’s responsibility for the poor construction on social media platform X: “Will the Chief Inauguration Minister take responsibility for this poor construction work and this corrupt model?”
Delhi has been experiencing heavy monsoon rains, which have significantly impacted the city’s infrastructure, causing widespread disruption. The downpours followed an extended period of heatwaves and high temperatures.
