Guwahati: A sudden downpour accompanied by storm wreaked havoc at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport leading to a portion of the roof being blown away in the forecourt area on Sunday, March 31. Operations were briefly halted and six flights were diverted to other destinations, a senior official said.
“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,” Chief Airport Officer (CAO) Utpal Baruah told PTI.
The airport is being maintained by Adani group.
A video of the ceiling falling apart and rainwater gushing has gone viral on different social media platforms.
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,” the CAO said.
The storm uprooted a big tree at the Oil India complex outside the Adani Group-controlled facility and blocked a road, the senior official said.
“We immediately rushed there and cleared the road for a smooth supply of fuel to the terminal. It took us over half-an-hour,” he said.
The flights operated by IndiGo, Air India and Air India Express have been diverted to Agartala and Kolkata, he said.
“The visibility has improved and normal operations have resumed. Flights have started landing in Guwahati,” Baruah added.
