Opposition Leaders Slam PM Modi After Roof Collapse at Delhi Airport’s Terminal 1

On Friday,opposition leaders criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi following the collapse of a portion of the roof at Terminal 1 of Delhi Airport amid heavy rain, resulting in one fatality. Terminal 1, which was recently expanded to accommodate more passengers, was inaugurated by PM Modi in March.

On March 10, PM Modi inaugurated or laid the foundation stone for 15 airport projects across the country worth more than ₹9,800 crore. Among these projects was the expanded Terminal 1 of Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. Opposition leaders accused PM Modi of “hastily inaugurating” an “incomplete terminal” for election campaign purposes.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge accused the Modi government of “corruption and criminal negligence” in infrastructure projects over the past 10 years.

“Corruption and criminal negligence are responsible for the collapse of shoddy infrastructure falling like a deck of cards, in the past 10 years of the Modi government,” he said.

“On March 10, when Modi ji inaugurated Delhi Airport T1, he called himself ‘a man from another soil’. All this false bravado and rhetoric was only reserved for quickly indulging in ribbon-cutting ceremonies before elections! Our heartfelt condolences to the victims of the Delhi airport tragedy. They bore the brunt of a corrupt, inept, and selfish government,” Kharge added.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted, “On March 11, 2024, as part of his election campaign, if I recall correctly, during his inauguration spree.”

National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah took a dig at PM Modi’s inauguration of the expanded Terminal 1 of Delhi airport, calling it “incomplete.”

“Incomplete terminal ‘inaugurated’ before the model code was imposed earlier this year starts falling apart before it’s even completed, what a surprise!!” Abdullah tweeted.

Trinamool Congress leader Saket Gokhale alleged that PM Modi “hurriedly inaugurated” the expanded Terminal 1 for election campaigning.

“Shocking and tragic news this morning. The roof at Delhi Airport’s T1 collapsed this morning and, until now, three people are reported dead. For election campaigning, Modi had hurriedly ‘inaugurated’ T1 in March even while it was under construction. Why shouldn’t PM Modi be charged with culpable homicide? He’s directly responsible for the death of three people who lost their lives because Modi was desperate to campaign,” he tweeted.

Responding to the opposition’s allegations, Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu said, “We are taking this incident seriously. I want to clarify that the building inaugurated by PM Modi is on the other side and the building that collapsed here is an old building and was opened in 2009.”

The Ministry of Civil Aviation stated that all flights to and from Terminal 1 were closed until further notice following the roof collapse. Flight operations at Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 remain normal.

“Heavy rain early this morning resulted in the collapse of the canopy of #DelhiAirport Terminal 1. As a result, flights to and from Terminal 1 have been closed until further notice. Alternate arrangements are being made for the smooth operation of flights,” the ministry tweeted.

The ministry reported that a few passengers were injured in the accident and were promptly given medical assistance.

“A few passengers got hurt. They were promptly provided with medical assistance on the spot and those taken to the hospital, their whereabouts are being regularly monitored,” it said.

The Delhi Fire Service received a call about a roof collapse around 5:30 am. At least four fire tenders were rushed to the spot to attend to the emergency.

Civil Aviation Minister Naidu said he was personally monitoring the situation at the Delhi airport.

“Personally monitoring the roof collapse incident at T1 Delhi Airport. First responders are working at the site. Also advised the airlines to assist all affected passengers at T1. The injured have been evacuated to hospital. Rescue operations are still ongoing,” he tweeted.

Sources indicated that flight departures at T1, which only handles domestic flights, have been suspended until 2 pm, and the airport operator is considering temporarily shifting operations from T1 to T2 and T3.

Flight departures were suspended soon after the roof collapse incident. Passengers who were already inside the terminal boarded their flights.

Departures were completely suspended around 7:30 am. Flight arrivals have not been impacted, sources said.

“Due to heavy rain early this morning, a portion of the canopy at the old departure forecourt of Delhi airport’s Terminal-1 collapsed around 5 am. There are injuries reported, and emergency personnel are working to provide all necessary assistance and medical aid to those affected,” a Delhi International Airport Limited spokesperson said in a statement.

The spokesperson added that, as a result of this incident, all departures from Terminal 1 are temporarily suspended, and check-in counters have been closed as a safety measure.

“We sincerely regret this disruption and apologize for any inconvenience caused,” the spokesperson said.

In a post on X, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu stated that he was monitoring the situation and that the injured had been shifted to the hospital.

“Personally monitoring the roof collapse incident at T1 Delhi Airport. First responders are working at the site. Also advised the airlines to assist all affected passengers at T1. The injured have been evacuated to hospital. Rescue operations are still ongoing,” he said.

In a statement, an IndiGo spokesperson said flight operations are impacted due to structural damage at T1 caused by adverse weather conditions.

“This has led to flight cancellations in Delhi as passengers are not able to enter the terminal. 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,” the airline said in a statement.

The airline also noted that the unplanned situation has led to operations across the network being impacted.

“Customers are advised to keep track of and confirm their flight status before leaving for the airport,” it said.

SpiceJet stated in a post on X that flights have been canceled as T1 will remain partially closed for operations until further notice.