Halwara international airport damaged in first rain, probe on.

Ludhiana: A civil investigation into the newly built Halwara International Airport is on after a heavy rainstorm caused parts of the terminal’s roof and ceiling to collapse, threatening passenger safety.

Saturday’s storm, which brought winds of up to 80 kmph, caused extensive damage to temporary structures around the departure area and ticketing counters. Water leaked heavily through multiple sections of the terminal building, causing significant disruption for airport staff.

The incident sparked public outrage and raised questions over construction quality after videos of the leaking and damaged interior emerged online.

Ludhiana deputy commissioner Himanshu Jain ordered the additional deputy commissioner of Jagraon to lead a detailed inquiry into the structural failure. “The agency responsible for the facility is under orders to undertake immediate repair and restoration work so that passengers do not face any inconvenience,” Jain said.

The union minister of state for railways and city’s former Lok Sabha member, Ravneet Singh Bittu, criticised the construction standards on social media, sharing a video of the water damage.

“This is extremely unfortunate news that Halwara International Airport failed to withstand even the first spell of rain,” Bittu said. “Strict action should be taken against the PWD officials and the contractor for the allegedly negligent construction work and for endangering human lives.”

Airport director Jagir Singh downplayed the severity of the damage, characterising it as minor and attributing it directly to the 80 kmph wind speeds. He said repairs were expected to wrap up within three days.

Despite the interior damage, flight operations continued without interruption on Sunday. The airport recorded healthy passenger traffic, handling 215 departing passengers and 166 arrivals across its scheduled flights to and from New Delhi.