Nation Part 9

Family of Taxi Driver Who Died in Delhi Airport Roof Collapse Faces Uncertain Future

A tragic incident occurred at Delhi airport’s Terminal 1 on Saturday night when the roof collapsed due to heavy rains, leading to the death of a taxi driver named Ramesh Kumar. Ramesh was pulled from a car that had been struck by a falling iron beam, but he was pronounced dead upon arrival at Medanta Hospital near the terminal.

Ramesh, who was 45 years old, lived in Vijay Vihar, Rohini, Delhi, and was the sole provider for his family, which includes two sons and two daughters. His son, Ravindra, is deeply worried about how the family will cope without their father’s income.

Ravindra recounted the distressing sequence of events: “We got a call at 8:30 in the morning saying our father had fainted at the airport and was taken to the hospital. They didn’t tell us about the tragedy that had happened,” he said.

“When we reached the airport and asked the police what was going on, they took us to a police station and kept us there until 4 pm. Then they took us to the hospital but still didn’t inform us that he had died. After waiting for 2-3 hours, we were told to come back the next day to collect the body after the post-mortem,” he added.

The family’s sorrow is further intensified by the fact that Ramesh’s daughters have upcoming weddings, and they are now anxious about how they will afford the expenses.

The family is calling for a judicial inquiry into the incident and is seeking adequate compensation from the government.

The city experienced heavy rainfall starting around 3 am. At the busy Terminal 1 of the airport, the rain caused significant damage. Around 5 am, the large canopy over the departure area collapsed, trapping several people. The roof sheet and support beams fell, crushing parked cars.

Numerous videos showing water accumulation on the shed have surfaced on social media. One video even shows cracks and leaks on the shed.