Delhi airport Terminal 1 stops ops after roof collapse, BJP, Congress trade allegations: 10 points

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress have traded allegations after a part of the Delhi airport's canopy collapsed on parked cars on Friday, June 28, morning, killing one and injuring eight others. The primary reason for the collapse of the forecourt's canopy at the Delhi airport is said to be record-breaking rain that lashed the national capital after days of heatwave, bringing Delhi to its knees.

The Congress has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government of hurriedly inaugurating the half-finished terminal due to Lok Sabha elections while alleging “corruption” and “criminal negligence”. The BJP, on the other hand, has claimed that the part of T1 that collapsed was opened in 2009, when Congress-led UPA was in power.

DELHI AIRPORT T1 ROOF COLLAPSE: 10 THINGS TO KNOW

1. More than 100 flights, operated from T1, have been cancelled by IndiGo and SpiceJet. T1 has only domestic flight operations by IndiGo and SpiceJet
2. T1 has been closed. All flight operations at the Terminal 1 of the Delhi airport, one of the busiest in the world, have been suspended till further notice. The airport – which has three terminals T1, T2 and T3 – handles around 1,400 flight movements daily
3. The scheduled flights from Terminal 1 have been rescheduled to takeoff from Terminal 2 and 3
4. A technical committee has been formed by the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) to ascertain the cause of the airport roof collapse
5. DIAL working with all relevant agencies, including Delhi police, India’s top aviation authority DGCA, and the disaster response force
6. A thorough inspection of the structural strength of all airports in the country will be undertaken following the roof collapse incident at the T1
7. A 24x7 war room will be set up for efficient management of passengers at T2 and T3
8. The government has issued an advisory to all airlines to ensure that a steep in airfare does not happen due to the incident
9. After heavy rainfall, key tunnels, including the one at Pragati Maidan, were closed and reports of homes being flooded came in from across the city, including upscale areas of Lutyens Delhi, Hauz Khas, South Extension and Mayur Vihar on the first day of heavy rain
10. The Safdarjung Observatory, the city's primary weather station, recorded 228.1 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Friday, more than three times the June rainfall average of 74.1 mm and the highest for the month in 88 years -- since 1936.

(With agency inputs)