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Third Incident in Three Days: Canopy Collapse at Rajkot Airport Amid Heavy Rains
A canopy fell at the passenger pickup and drop-off area outside Gujarat’s Rajkot Airport under heavy rain on Saturday, a day after the terrible occurrence at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport Terminal-1, according to a news agency. According to preliminary data, there were no reports of injuries or casualties.
Meanwhile, Gujarat is receiving significant rainfall as the southwest monsoon moves deeper into the state. Seven teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in Kutch, Rajkot, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Gir Somnath, Bhavnagar, Narmada, and Valsad districts in anticipation of heavy to extremely severe rainfall in some locations. The event occurred one day after a piece of the roof fell at Indira Gandhi International Airport’s Terminal 1 in the early hours, killing a 45-year-old cab driver and injuring eight others.
The event led to an indefinite halt of operations at Terminal 1, which handles approximately 200 planes each day. Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) stated that the roof of Terminal 1’s old departure forecourt partially collapsed at about 5 a.m. on Friday. While the exact cause of the collapse is uncertain, it is likely to be due to heavy rainfall and winds. The civil aviation minister, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, has granted compensation of ₹20 lakh to the relatives of the deceased and ₹3 lakh to those who suffered minor injuries.
To avoid such tragedies, the ministry has ordered a structural preliminary inspection of all airports around the country. Meanwhile, the Delhi Police have filed a first information report (FIR) under sections 304A (death by negligence) and 337 (causing harm by an act endangering the life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code.
Also Read: Delhi T-1 Roof Collapse: Aviation Minister Orders Structural Audit of All Airports, Denounces Opposition’s Fake News Claims
A comparable event occurred at Jabalpur airport in Madhya Pradesh when a fabric canopy collapsed on Thursday, crushing a car parked below after water accumulated on it during heavy rains. Nevertheless, there were no casualties during the event. On March 10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new terminal building of the Dumna airport through a virtual ceremony, with a cost of ₹450 crore.
