A portion of the outside shade at Terminal 1 of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport collapsed early Sunday morning amid heavy rain and thunderstorms, according to visuals circulated on social media.
No injuries were reported.
Photos and videos showed a large section of the overhang buckled onto the pavement, with water gushing from the site. In one clip, rainwater is seen pouring through the canopy at the airport, just hours after intense overnight rainfall battered the National Capital Region.
The India Meteorological Department reported that Delhi experienced over 80 millimeters of rain in six hours between 11:30pm. Saturday and 5:30am Sunday. Winds reached speeds of up to 82 kilometers per hour.
The severe weather disrupted airport operations and led to the diversion of 49 flights, including 17 international ones, between 11:30pm and 4:00am, according to ANI. A passenger advisory issued by the airport at 6:50 am. urged travellers to “check their flight status regularly and stay in touch with airline staff for updates.”
In a statement, the Delhi airport said, “as a part of the design’s natural response to extreme conditions and to prevent excessive water retention, a section of the external tensile fabric at the T1 Arrival forecourt adjusted under pressure, thereby aiding in water dispersal. There was no structural compromise or impact to other parts of the terminal.”
Despite the official clarification, the incident quickly triggered a barrage of reactions online.
The Kerala unit of the Congress party posted the video on X, with a sarcastic caption: “Vikas overflows in Delhi airport after a drizzle.”
The term "Vikas," means development in Hindi. It is often used by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in its political campaigns, almost like a catch-phrase.
On Sunday, critics co-opted the word to highlight alleged failures in public infrastructure.
As videos of the flooding spread, users on X responded with jokes, barbs, and poetry. One user quipped, “Thanks Modi for bringing waterfalls to Delhi.” Another shared a poem titled Vikas, Vikas, a stanza of which goes like: “Vikas, Vikas, everywhere,
But when it floods, who really cares?
Modern dreams in a watery grave,
Vikas, Vikas, misbehave.”
Elsewhere in Delhi, waterlogging was reported in key areas including Moti Bagh and Minto Road. At Minto Road, a car was seen submerged, while traffic was snarled in several locations such as Dhaula Kuan.
Despite the flood-like conditions, airport authorities said that ground teams acted swiftly to restore operations.