Roof collapse smashes cars in Delhi

A roof at Delhi airport has collapsed after heavy rain, killing one person and injuring eight others.

Videos online show huge pillars supporting the roof smashing into cars parked along the airport’s Terminal 1.

All flights from the terminal have been suspended until further notice, airport authorities said.

The incident took place at 05:00 (23:30 GMT Thursday).

“While the cause for the collapse is being assessed, the primary cause seems to be the continued heavy rainfall over the past few hours,” a spokesperson for the airport said.

Officials said four vehicles were damaged and eight people received minor injuries in the incident.

India’s aviation regulator has advised airlines to accommodate passengers on alternate flights or offer them refunds.

The accident has impacted the travel plans of thousands, as most domestic flights take off from Terminal 1.

Some airlines have shifted flight operations to the remaining two terminals at the airport.

Authorities at the Delhi International Airport Limited said a technical committee had been formed to investigate the cause of the accident.

“We are working with all relevant agencies to assess the situation and restore operations,” they added.

Federal Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu has announced a compensation of 2m rupees ($24,000; £19,000) to the family of the deceased and 300,000 rupees for the injured.

He also told reporters that the situation was under control and that inspection was under way to prevent any further incident. He added that airports with added structures across the country would also be inspected.

The incident was criticised on social media, with many users pointing out that the terminal had undergone a massive renovation at the cost of billions of rupees and had been inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March – a month before the recent general election began.

However, Mr Kinjarapu later said the portion that collapsed was not part of the renovated section.

“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,” he said.

Heavy rains have lashed Delhi since Thursday, providing a much-needed respite from sweltering temperatures that the Indian capital was experiencing since April.

But the downpour has pushed the city into chaos as several roads are water-logged, leading to major traffic jams.

Commuters reported spending hours in traffic while others said their vehicles had suffered breakdowns.

Videos shared on social media showed people wading through knee-deep water and cars and buses partly submerged in subways.

The torrential downpour has also led to delays and cancellations of flights.

India’s meteorological department forecasts that the city will continue to see “heavy to very heavy rainfall” over the weekend.