New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu has announced that an investigation will be carried out into the roof collapse at Delhi Airport's Terminal 1. The incident that took place on Friday early morning left one dead and six others injured. 

Naidu, who visited the airport, said the situation is under control and Terminal 1 (T1) has been closed. He added that arrangements are being made to shift operations of flights to T2 and T3.

The minister said a compensation of Rs 20 lakh will be given to the family of the deceased and Rs 3 lakh to the injured people.

The incident happened at around 5 am at the departure area of Terminal 1 (T1) at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) amid heavy rains in the national capital.

The civil aviation ministry on Friday said heavy rain has resulted in the collapse of the canopy of Delhi Airport T1.

"As a result of which flights to & from Terminal 1 have been closed till further notice. Alternate arrangements are being made for smooth operation of the flights," the ministry said in a post on X.

Through the official X handle, Delhi Airport notified passengers that flight departures have been suspended till 2 pm in T1.

T1 has only domestic flight operations by IndiGo and SpiceJet. The airport which has three terminals T1, T2 and T3 handles around 1,400 flight movements daily.

The technical reasons and other aspects of the incident will be known after the investigation, the minister told reporters.

He added that the structure that collapsed was opened in 2009 and airport operator DIAL has been doing an inspection of the structure. "DGCA will supervise the inspection and they will give a report". Similarly, a detailed check of all similar structures at airports across the country will be carried out, he clarified.

Immediately after learning about the incident, Naidu said the emergency response and fire safety teams were sent. Among others, CISF and NDRF personnel were also at the site.

"Due to heavy rain since 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 DIAL spokesperson said in a statement.

As a result of this incident, the spokesperson said all departures from Terminal 1 are temporarily suspended, and check-in counters are closed as a safety measure.

Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), a consortium led by GMR Group, is the operator of the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in the national capital.

"We sincerely regret this disruption and apologise for any inconvenience caused." the spokesperson said. PTI