Social media users ridiculed Delhi’s inadequate infrastructure after part of the roof at the city’s airport collapsed. Images and videos showing water flooding into the facility led to unfavorable comparisons to Singapore’s Jewel Changi Airport, which boasts the world’s tallest indoor fountain.
At Indira Gandhi International Airport Terminal 1, six people were injured and one person died when a section of the forecourt’s canopy collapsed early Friday morning. The incident followed a night of intense rainfall in the national capital.
As a result, all flights departing from Terminal 1 were suspended on Friday morning, causing significant disruptions to travel plans. Meanwhile, other parts of Delhi were submerged due to the thunderstorms and heavy rainfall overnight.
Videos showing water pouring through the airport’s leaking roof led to a surge of memes on social media. The HSBC Rain Vortex at Singapore’s Jewel Changi Airport, standing 40 meters tall—equivalent to a seven-story building—remains the tallest indoor fountain in the world.
Memes took over the internet, compares Delhi to Singapore:
“Changi Airport (Singapore) VS Delhi Airport,” wrote one X user, sharing pictures of the 7-storey HSBC Rain Vortex Waterfall at Singapore airport.
Changi Airport (Singapore) VS Delhi Airport #DelhiAirport #DelhiRains @AAI_Official pic.twitter.com/A9ouWqHEDp
— Aditya Gupta (@AdityaVgupta) June 28, 2024
“No need to go to Singapore, just go to Delhi and enjoy,” another person wrote.
Changi Airport ❌️ Delhi Airport ✅️
No need to go for Singapore, just go to Delhi and enjoy 😍#DelhiRains #delhirain #DelhiAirport #Panauti pic.twitter.com/tTgDM5ib6M
— Mr Vishal (@SimplyMeVishal) June 28, 2024
X user Neha called it “Same same but different.
Same same but different;
Changi Airport (Singapore 🇸🇬)
Delhi Airport (India 🇮🇳)#DelhiAirport #DelhiRains #Terminal1 #delhirain #Parliament #rains #Roofcollapse pic.twitter.com/W0efeTBThi— Neha Bisht (@neha_bisht12) June 28, 2024
The roof collapse at Delhi Airport’s Terminal 1 occurred less than four months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated an upgrade intended to increase the terminal’s capacity from 17 million to 40 million passengers annually, according to PTI.
Delhi Airport ranks among the busiest in the world, accommodating 72 million passengers in 2023, as reported by Airports Council International. Terminals 1 and 2 serve domestic passengers, while Terminal 3 is dedicated to international travelers.