New Delhi:

Flight operations of airlines like IndiGo and SpiceJet have been impacted after a roof collapsed at Terminal 1 of Delhi airport, on Friday morning, leaving six people injured and one dead.

After the incident, airlines issued a press statement informing passengers that, because of the structural damage to Terminal 1 and adverse weather conditions, several flights had been cancelled and advised passengers to keep track of and confirm their flight status.

IndiGo in a statement, said, “IndiGo flight operations are impacted due to structural damage to Terminal 1, Delhi Airport because of adverse weather conditions. This has led to flight cancellations at Delhi as passengers are not able to enter the terminal. Passengers already inside the terminal will be able to board their planned flights, but those with flights later in the day will be offered alternatives.”

“This unplanned situation has also led to operations across the network being impacted. Customers are advised to keep a track of and confirm their flight status before leaving for the airport. IndiGo passengers can call 0124 6173838 or 0124 4973838 to seek assistance regarding their travel plans. We regret the inconvenience caused to the passengers,” added IndiGo’s statement.

While SpiceJet in its statement, said, “Due to bad weather (heavy rains), SpiceJet flights have been cancelled as Terminal 1 of Delhi Airport will remain partially closed for operations until further notice. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. Please contact us at +91 (0)124 4983410/+91 (0)124 7101600 for alternate options or full refund. Please keep a watch on our Social Media channels for further updates.”

Meanwhile, a Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) spokesperson stated, “Due to heavy rain since early this morning, a portion of the canopy at the old departure forecourt of Delhi Airport’s Terminal 1 collapsed around 5 am. There are injuries reported, and emergency personnel are working to provide all necessary assistance and medical aid to those affected.”

“As a result of this incident, all departures from Terminal 1 are temporarily suspended, and check-in counters are closed as a safety measure. We sincerely regret this disruption and apologise for any inconvenience caused,” DIAL said.

Informing about the incident, Delhi Police said that traffic going to T1 departure from Indira Gandhi International Airport has been diverted at the CISF check post toward the Arrival of T1.

Several cars were hit by parts of the roof that collapsed on them at Terminal 1 of Delhi Airport, as per a fire official on Friday. Upon receiving the information, around three fire tenders rushed to the spot.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

At least one person was killed and eight others injured after a portion of the roof of the Delhi airport’s Terminal-1 collapsed on cars amid heavy rain this morning. All departures from Terminal 1 have been temporarily suspended, and check-in counters closed as a “safety measure”, a Delhi airport spokesperson said. Terminal-1 has only domestic flight operations.

The spokesperson also said that all departing flights from T1 of IndiGo and SpiceJet are cancelled till 2 pm today.

Many vehicles, including cabs, were damaged in the incident that was reported to the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) around 5.30 am. The officials said the roof sheet and the support beams collapsed, damaging the cars parked in the pick-up and drop area of the terminal at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world.

During the rescue operations, a man was taken out from a car on which an iron beam had fallen.

In an official statement, Delhi airport said that a portion of the canopy at the old Departure forecourt of Delhi Airport’s Terminal 1 collapsed “due to heavy rain since early this morning”.

“There are injuries reported, and emergency personnel are working to provide all necessary assistance and medical aid to those affected. As a result of this incident, all departures from Terminal 1 are temporarily suspended, and check-in counters are closed as a safety measure. We sincerely regret this disruption and apologize for any inconvenience caused,” the statement read.

Terminal 1 Incident pic.twitter.com/Dv9Sir5l4p

— Delhi Airport (@DelhiAirport) June 28, 2024

Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said he was “personally monitoring” the roof collapse incident at the Delhi airport and that the injured have been hospitalised.

“First responders are working at the site. Also advised the airlines to assist all affected passengers at T1. The injured have been evacuated to hospital,” the newly-elected minister posted on X.

Personally monitoring the roof collapse incident at T1 Delhi Airport. First responders are working at site. Also advised the airlines to assist all affected passengers at T1. The injured have been evacuated to hospital. Rescue operations are still ongoing.

— Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu (@RamMNK) June 28, 2024

Indigo Cancels Flights As Roof Collapses At Delhi Airport

IndiGo said that its flight operations were impacted due to structural damage to Terminal 1 at Delhi Airport. In a statement, the low-cost carrier said that the incident has led to flight cancellations in Delhi as “passengers are not able to enter the terminal”.

“Passengers already inside the terminal will be able to board their planned flights, but those with flights later in the day will be offered alternatives,” an IndiGo spokesperson said.

“This unplanned situation has also led to operations across the network being impacted. Customers are advised to keep track of and confirm their flight status before leaving for the airport,” the statement added.

Heavy Rain In Delhi

Delhi today received heavy rain for the second consecutive day. Rain, which brought respite from the scorching heat, also caused waterlogging in several parts of the national capital.

Visuals shared by the news agency ANI on X showed roads inundated and long traffic in parts of Delhi. 

#WATCH | Delhi: Roads inundated as heavy rain continues in parts of National Capital

(Visuals from Govindpuri) pic.twitter.com/9idnGwx0nb

— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2024

A car was also seen submerged at Minto Road.

#WATCH | A car submerged in water and roads heavily flooded due to continuous downpour in Delhi

(Visuals from Minto Road) pic.twitter.com/reJQPlzfbQ

— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2024

The Safdarjung Observatory, the capital’s primary weather station, recorded 154 mm of rainfall between yesterday and today morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

On Thursday, rain in Delhi brought the temperature down to 35.4 degrees Celsius.

New Delhi:

A Varanasi-bound IndiGo flight today received a bomb threat at the Delhi airport, prompting authorities to inspect the plane, officials said.

The flight, 6E2211, was scheduled to take off from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport around 5 am and was stopped on the runway minutes before departure.

“At 05:40 am, a phone call was received from the IGI airport regarding a bomb threat. A message ‘BOMB BLAST @30 MINUTES’ was written on a piece of paper inside the lavatory of the flight and was found by the pilot,” an official said.

The aircraft, with 176 passengers onboard, was immediately taken to the isolation bay for further necessary action, the official said, adding that a quick response team was deployed, which has so far not found any suspicious items.

All passengers were deboarded through the emergency door and are safe, the official said.

#WATCH | Passengers of the IndiGo flight 6E2211 operating from Delhi to Varanasi were evacuated through the emergency door after a bomb threat was reported on the flight. All passengers are safe, flight is being inspected.

(Viral video confirmed by Aviation authorities) https://t.co/el2q5jCatxpic.twitter.com/ahVc0MSiXz

— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2024

The IndiGo also released an official statement and said that the aircraft was taken to a remote bay as per guidelines by airport security agencies.

“The flight is currently undergoing inspection. Post completion of all security checks, the aircraft will be positioned back in the terminal area,” the airline said.

ALSO READ | Mumbai Cops Receive Hoax Message Threatening To Blow Up Taj Hotel, Airport

Earlier this month, a tissue paper with the word ‘bomb’ written on it was found on an Air India flight lavatory at Delhi airport, but it had turned out to be a hoax.

Police had said that they received information regarding a tissue paper found in the lavatory of an Air India flight scheduled to depart for Vadodara on May 15, with the word ‘bomb’ written on it.

“Following standard security protocols, a thorough inspection was conducted, and no suspicious items were found,” an official had said.

Several hospitals and schools in Delhi have recently been targeted with bomb threat emails, that claimed the presence of explosives on their premises. However, investigators found the threats to be false alarms.

New Delhi:

A fire broke out at the Indira Gandhi International airport on Friday, official of the Delhi Fire Services said.

Three fire tenders were pressed into service, they said.

“We received a call from IGI Airport at 6.15 pm regarding a fire. We have pressed three fire tenders,” the DFS official said.

Further details are awaited.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

He boarded 200 flights last year and travelled thousands of kilometres in the country for over 100 days to execute robberies at airports, stealing valuables from several passengers in 2023.

The Delhi Police busted the new style of theft when a woman travelling from Hyderabad to Delhi claimed last month that jewellery worth Rs 7 lakh was stolen from her handbag. The cops received another complaint from a man from the US reporting that valuables worth Rs 20 lakh were stolen from his cabin bag. 

The police scanned several hours of footage from airports and arrested a man, Rajesh Kapoor.

The Modus Operandi

Rajesh Kapoor was arrested from Delhi’s Paharganj after cops scanned CCTV footage from Delhi, Hyderabad, and Amritsar airports. The accused told the cops how he executed the crime for a year in one of the most highly secured areas in the country – airports – and managed to escape.

Deputy Commissioner of Delhi Police, Usha Rangrani, said the man targeted passengers who took connecting flights. For example, the woman travelling from Hyderabad to Delhi in April had to board a connecting Air India flight to the US from the IGI Airport in Delhi. 

Similarly, the US resident, Varjinderjit Singh, was travelling to Frankfurt, Germany from Amritsar and had a connecting flight from Delhi.

The senior cop said he chose the elderly and women passengers as his targets and used to observe their behaviour at the airport. He would follow them or slyly read the information on the baggage declaration slip to get more details about the valuables inside the bag. The police said they saw the man interact mostly at the boarding gate, and before that, he would observe the behaviour of his targets.

The police said the accused used to request the airline to change his seat so that he could be next to the passenger. Sometimes, it was a coincidence, but he mostly would give a reason to get his seat changed. 

The cops added that he would often sit near the passenger he would steal from and pretend to adjust the bags in the overhead section and steal jewellery and other valuables while other passengers were boarding the aircraft.

The phone number of the accused was obtained from the airlines; however, he entered a fake number at the time of booking to defraud them, and the phone number was registered in someone else’s name, making sure he did not leave any evidence behind.

‘A Guest House Owner’

Rajesh owns ‘Ricky Deluxe’, a guest house in Delhi Paharganj, close to the New Delhi Railway Station. The man lived on the third floor of the guest house, and the other floors were for the customers. The police said he had a money exchange business and, also owned a mobile repair shop in Delhi.

He stole valuables from bags of mostly female passengers in several operating from airports like Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Bangalore, Mumbai, and Amritsar. A large quantity of gold and silver jewellery was recovered from his house in Paharganj; however, he also revealed that on several occasions he sold the stolen jewellery to a jeweller named Sharad Jain in neighbouring Karol Bagh.

The thief who boarded flights used to steal in trains and “gained success,” the police said. After getting caught, the man “went silent” and later decided to plan thefts at the airports.

New Delhi:

Two men have been arrested by customs officials at the international airport for allegedly smuggling gold worth Rs 1.21 crore into the country by concealing it in their rectum, according to an official statement issued on Thursday.

The accused, who had arrived from Jeddah, were arrested in separate cases.

One of the men was intercepted on his arrival on Tuesday, the statement said.

“During personal and baggage search of the passenger, three oval-shaped capsules containing yellow-colored chemical paste wrapped in transparent rubbery material, suspected to contain gold, were recovered which were concealed by the passenger in his rectum,” the customs department said in the statement.

After the extraction process, one uneven-shaped gold bar weighing 917.3 grams and having a tariff value of Rs 59.81 lakh was recovered from the passenger, it said.

In the other case, the passenger was intercepted after he arrived from Jeddah on Monday.

He was suspected of carrying foreign-origin gold and intercepted by customs officials, another statement said.

“During personal and baggage search of the passenger, three oval-shaped capsules suspected to contain gold in chemical paste form were recovered from the body of the passenger (excreted from the rectum by himself) which, after extraction of metal, resulted into the recovery of gold collectively weighing 981.34 grams approx,” it said.

Both the accused were arrested and the gold, weighing 1.89 kg approximately and worth around Rs 1.21 crore, was seized.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Seven people were arrested for allegedly stealing valuables from passengers’ bags at the IGI Airport in Delhi and recovered several items, including luxury watches, police said on Saturday.

The accused have been identified as Manoj Kumar, Hari Darshan, Balwinder, Praveen Kumar, Sanjeev Kumar, Subodh and Satish Kumar Verma, they said.

Gold jewellery, currency of five countries, two Apple AirPods, a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses and two luxury watches — a Rado and a De Grisogono — were recovered from the accused.

The case stems from a complaint registered at IGI Airport police station by Punjab native Paramjeet Kaur.

Paramjeet Kaur said she arrived in Delhi from Melbourne on September 16 and was to take a connecting flight to Amritsar, a senior police officer said.

Before boarding her flight to Amritsar, when her baggage was found to be overweight, she opened her bags and adjusted the articles. However, when she reached home, she found the gold items in her bags missing, Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI Airport) Devesh Kumar Mahla said.

During investigation, the police scanned footage from CCTV cameras and interrogated the loaders working that shift.

A video sent by Hari Darshan was found in Manoj Kumar’s mobile phone in which he can be heard saying “this jewellery is fake, nobody will get anything for this”, Devesh Mahla said.

Following this development, Manoj Kumar and Hari Darshan admitted to stealing the gold jewellery and selling it to a jeweller. They also admitted to stealing several items from the bags of other passengers. They claimed that staff of different airlines helped them steal the articles. Later, the police arrested five more people in this connection, the officer said.

The police have found that the airlines are not following the periodic guidelines issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security and letters from the Delhi Police, he said.

Investigations revealed that some higher officials of the airline concerned connived with the accused and their roles are also under the scanner. Officials of the airline are also being interrogated, the police said.

The accused managed the airline’s security officer to give them a wide berth while they loaded and unloaded baggage from aircraft, the police said.

They roped in the duty officer, whose job was to assign duties to the loaders, to deploy the accused only in the holding area, they said.

Investigation is underway to get a clearer picture about their complete involvement. As a result, no one from the airline has been arrested yet, the police said.

Manoj Kumar, the kingpin of the gang, specialised in identifying bags that might contain valuables. Hari Darshan and Balwinder were loaders and they used to dispose of the jewellery. Praveen Kumar, another loader, diverted the attention of officials during search-and-frisk, the police said.

Sanjeev Kumar and Subodh, both loaders, handed the baggage over slowly for loading and unloading. Satish Kumar Verma is the jeweller who purchased the stolen jewellery from the accused, they said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

In view of the upcoming G20 Summit, the Delhi Police has put in a few restrictions to ensure a smooth flow of traffic in the national capital. However, despite sharing the traffic advisory on social media handles, the Delhi Traffic Police (DTP) has still been receiving a lot of queries from the public about its traffic management plan for the summit being held from September 8 to 10. 

Now, in reference to this, the Delhi Traffic Police has shared guidelines for routes to be taken by flyers planning to head to Delhi airport during the G20 Summit. “What if, I have a flight on 08/09/10th September, 2023, and I have to reach IGI Airport during G20 Summit? Don’t worry! Just follow the instructions in this video,” the DTP wrote on microblogging site X (formerly Twitter). 

Watch the video below: 

What if, I have a flight on 08/09/10th September, 2023, and I have to reach IGI Airport during G20 Summit?

Don’t worry! Just follow the instructions in this video.#G20Summit#G20SummitDelhiFAQs@LtGovDelhi@MEAIndia@CPDelhi@PIB_India@ssyipspic.twitter.com/C7cIz7E0gF

— Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) September 2, 2023

“My dear friend no need to worry, you can use the Metro services to go Airport from your nearest Metro Station,” the officials informed in the clip. One can visit the official Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) website to check the exact Metro navigation for Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. 

“You can go anywhere in the Capital City by using Metro Service,” the text on the clip read.

Also Read | Will Delhi Be Under Lockdown For G20 Summit? What Delhi Police Said

One can also use suggested road routes for the airport mentioned in the previously released traffic advisory. “Passengers should note that road journey towards IGI Airport will be affected from 0000 hours on the intervening night of 07 & 08.09.2023 to 2359 hours on 10.09.2023,” it read. 

Notably, the G20 Summit will take place at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, on September 9 and 10, 2023. However, the delegates will also visit Rajghat, NGMA (National Gallery of Modern Art) and Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Pusa during the summit. Therefore, there may be certain traffic regulations in the area of in and around New Delhi from 07.09.2023 to 11.09.2023, the Delhi police said.