Give job, aid to kin of Delhi airport roof collapse victim: Gaurav Gogoi to Centre

Gaurav Gogoi, Deputy Leader of the Indian National Congress in the Lok Sabha and a three-time MP from Assam has urged immediate government action following the tragic death of Ramesh Kumar, a cab driver killed in the roof collapse at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport Terminal 1 amid heavy rains on Saturday night.

In a post on X, Gogoi wrote “The family of Ramesh Kumar has been through a harrowing experience. Kumar, a father of four, was the sole breadwinner of the family. The torrential rains in Delhi yesterday also injured several people and damaged homes and properties. The government must provide compensation for the injured and a government job to the family member of the deceased.”

Kumar, the sole breadwinner for his family residing in Vijay Vihar, Rohini, Delhi, was fatally injured when an iron beam fell on his car during the collapse. Despite efforts to rescue him and transport him to Medanta Hospital, Kumar succumbed to his injuries upon arrival. His untimely death has left behind a grieving family, including two sons and two daughters, who now face an uncertain future without their father's support.

Ravindra, Kumar's son, expressed deep concern over the family's financial stability without his father. The upcoming weddings of Kumar’s daughters further compound their worries about managing expenses during this difficult time.

The roof collapse occurred around 5 am, trapping multiple individuals under the canopy covering Terminal 1's departure area. 

Earlier Gogoi expressed his concerns about the safety of airport infrastructure across the country.

"There must be serious accountability fixed in the roof collapse at the TI airport. A similar incident took place at the Guwahati Adani airport a few months ago. There has been no hurricane or tornado yet airport roofs seem to be collapsing. What has the Ministry of Civil Aviation been doing for the past few years?" Gogoi stated in his post on June 28.

The post came in the wake of a tragic incident where one person died and five were injured after a portion of the roof at Delhi Airport's Terminal-1 collapsed onto cars, including taxis, amid heavy rain early on June 28.

This incident mirrors a similar event earlier this year at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati in Assam.

The tragedy has sparked widespread concerns about safety protocols at one of India's busiest airports and underscores the urgent need for enhanced infrastructure maintenance and emergency preparedness measures.