A significant mishap was narrowly averted on Saturday at the Rajkot International Airport, mirroring a similar recent event at Delhi Airport's Terminal 1. At Rajkot's Hirasar International Airport, the passenger pick-up and drop-off area canopy outside the terminal collapsed due to torrential rains. The silver lining here is that no injuries were reported from this event. PM Modi had previously inaugurated the new airport terminal in July 2023, following an expansion exceeding the cost of 1400 crores.
Just a day earlier, a similar incident occurred at Delhi's airport Terminal 1, resulting in a fatality and several injuries. According to the meteorological department, a cyclonic system is active above South Gujarat, leading to widespread rainfall across the region. The department also forecasts continued rainfall over the next five days. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a 'yellow alert' for South Gujarat.
At the newly expanded terminal of Jabalpur's Dumna Airport, part of the canopy also caved in on Thursday due to heavy rainfall, damaging a government officer's car parked underneath. Barely three months had passed since Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated this very airport. The Jabalpur Airport management explained that the accumulation of rainwater on the canopy led to the collapse. The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has expressed regret over the incident and ensured an exhaustive resolution, stating, 'A technical investigation into the incident's causes is underway to ensure such events are not repeated.'
In response to the canopy collapse at the Indira Gandhi International Airport’s Terminal 1, the Delhi International Airport Management constituted a committee to investigate the accident. Following the incident, Delhi Police registered a case under IPC sections 304A (causing death by negligence) and 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others). Civil Aviation Minister of State Muralidhar Mohol stated that the Civil Aviation Ministry has ordered a structural audit of all airport terminals across the country.
