A part of the ceiling outside the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Assam’s Guwahati collapsed on Sunday following a sudden storm accompanied by heavy rainfall.
While no injuries were reported in the incident, the collapse of a portion of ceiling prompted authorities of the Adani Group-controlled airport to briefly halt operations and divert six flights to other destinations.
A video of the incident, which has gone viral on social media, showed a portion of the ceiling suddenly collapsing, with passengers and airport staff running to take cover. Other videos showed airport staff trying to remove the excess water from the premises.
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
The Chief Airport Officer (CAO) Utpal Baruah told news agency PTI that the storm uprooted a big tree at the Oil India complex outside the airport and blocked a road.
“It was very old and could not withstand the impact. Due to this, the ceiling broke open and water started flowing inside. However, there was no injury and everything is under control,” he said.
Baruah also said that water entered the terminal from the ceiling.
“I am personally monitoring the situation so that passengers do not face any inconvenience. Due to the storm and heavy rain, the visibility dropped drastically and we had to divert six flights,” he added.
Meanwhile, the flights operated by IndiGo, Air India and Air India Express have been diverted to Agartala and Kolkata.
However, as the visibility improved later, operations were resumed and flights started landing at the Guwahati airport.
