What’s the nastiest experience you could ever have at an airport? A very delayed flight? Or maybe a passenger on your delayed flight scuffling with the pilot. But as the rain gods thundered ablaze over Guwahati on Sunday, the passengers waiting at the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati, experienced a horrifying, almost unseen and definitely unexpected incident unfold.
Amidst severe storms and heavy rainfall, a portion of the LGBI airport’s roof collapsed in Guwahati, sending shock waves of terror among the passengers and staff stationed near the terminal. Although no injuries were reported, videos of a flock of panic stricken passengers and staff members running to safety surfaced online. After the collapse, water started leaking inside the airport due to a collapse of outlet pipes.
The incident occurred after the LGBI airport was amidst heavy rain and storms, which had already caused a halt in flight operations, with 6 flights being diverted between Agartala and Kolkata. The storm even uprooted trees at the Oil India complex outside the airport, leading to a temporary halt in fuel supply to the terminal.
As the video turned more heads on X(twitter), netizens were quick to react and criticised the Adani Group for their failure in delivering their promise of “world class airports”. Meanwhile senior airport officials issued statements to various media outlets, claiming that the cause of the collapse was the old age of that particular portion of the roof, which is being widely discounted as a lame excuse to save face. Would it only be a one-off minor failure for the Airport contracting giant of India? Or is this a preface for what’s to come? Only time will tell. Meanwhile, make sure to add an umbrella and “no standing under an old roof” to your airport preparedness checklist!
भारी बारिश के कारण गुवाहाटी हवाई अड्डे की छत का एक हिस्सा ढह गया।#GuwahatiAirport pic.twitter.com/QvstzTKOTG
— Shoyab Khan (@_ILove_Myindia) April 1, 2024
