(CTN News) – The heavy rain that hit New Delhi this week has resulted in the death of 11 people, as reported by the Times of India. Among the victims were four individuals who tragically drowned in flooded underpasses. This sudden deluge has also caused significant disruptions to flight operations in the Indian capital.
New Delhi, which recently endured one of its most severe heatwaves on record, experienced an unprecedented downpour on June 28. The amount of rainfall that day exceeded the city’s average for the entire month, marking one of the most intense weather events in decades.
The torrential rain led to a fatal roof collapse at one of the terminals of Delhi’s main airport, further complicating flight schedules. In addition to the airport disruptions, the city faced widespread flooding of underpasses, massive traffic jams, and significant power and water outages.
Data from the flight tracking platform FlightAware indicated that nearly 60 flights from New Delhi’s main airport were canceled in the last 24 hours.
Although flight operations were largely back to normal on Sunday, with most flights from the affected terminal being redirected to the other two terminals, an airport official warned that further cancellations could still occur throughout the day.
Delhi Airport Terminal 1 Closure Disrupts Flights After Roof Collapse
Delhi’s airport, one of the largest and busiest in the country, saw Terminal 1 closed due to the severe weather.
This terminal, primarily used by low-cost carriers such as IndiGo, operated by InterGlobe Aviation, and SpiceJet, has a capacity to handle 40 million passengers annually.
An IndiGo spokesperson declined to comment on the flight cancellations, and a representative from SpiceJet was not immediately available for comment.
The extreme weather has highlighted the vulnerabilities in New Delhi’s infrastructure, raising concerns about the city’s preparedness for such unexpected and severe climatic events in the future.
Source: Daily Star
