Canopy Collapses At Rajkot Airport Amid Heavy Rainfall Marks Third Incident In Three Days

A canopy collapsed at the passenger pickup and drop area outside Rajkot Airport in Gujarat amid heavy rainfall on Saturday, as reported by news agency PTI. Fortunately, there were no reports of injuries or casualties.

Gujarat is currently experiencing heavy rainfall as the southwest monsoon progresses through the state. In response to the forecast of heavy to very heavy rainfall in certain areas, seven teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed across various districts including Kutch, Rajkot, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Gir Somnath, Bhavnagar, Narmada, and Valsad.

This incident occurred shortly after a roof collapse at Terminal 1 of Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi claimed the life of a 45-year-old cab driver and injured eight others. Operations at Terminal 1, which handles approximately 200 flights daily, have been indefinitely suspended. The cause of the collapse, suspected to be due to heavy rainfall and winds, is still under investigation.

Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu announced compensation of ₹20 lakh to the deceased driver’s family and ₹3 lakh each to those with minor injuries. The ministry has also mandated structural inspections at all airports nationwide to prevent similar incidents.

In a separate incident, heavy rains caused a part of a fabric canopy to collapse at Jabalpur airport in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday, crushing a parked car below. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.