At least one person was killed and eight others injured after a portion of the roof collapsed at Delhi’s international airport on Friday morning.
The accident occurred at terminal one of the Indira Gandhi International Airport at 5.30 am (1am BST) after heavy rains lashed India’s capital.
The officials said the roof sheet and the support beams at the departure area of the terminal collapsed, damaging the cars parked in the pick-up and drop area of the terminal.
All departures from terminal one have been temporarily suspended withflights of low-cost carriers like IndiGo and SpiceJet delayed until 2pm local time (9.30am BST).
“Passengers already inside the terminal will be able to board their planned flights, but those with flights later in the day will be offered alternatives,” an IndiGo spokesperson said.
The carrier said the “unplanned situation” has also impacted their entire network, asking passengers to keep track of and confirm their flight status before leaving for the airport.
All check-in counters were also closed as a “safety measure”, a Delhi airport spokesperson said.
“There are injuries reported and emergency personnel are working to provide all necessary assistance and medical aid to those affected,” the statement said.
The terminal one of the international airport mostly caters to domestic flights.
Visuals on local news channels showed water pouring from the collapsed roof with a pillar fallen on a taxi with the entire area waterlogged after heavy rains.
Federal minister for civil aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, said first responders were at the site and all those injured were evacuated and taken to the hospital.
India’s aviation secretary has said the regulator will get the airport structure examined by experts.
A probe has been launched to look into the causes of the roof collapse.
Heavy showers have lashed Delhi since Thursday, with the rain bringing respite from the longest-ever heatwave spell the country has ever recorded. However, the rainfall intensity has also led to water-logging in several parts of the city.
The city recorded 154mm of rainfall between Thursday and Friday morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
However, the rains have brought the temperature down to as low as 35C after weeks of 40C and above.