Delhi airport ‘waterfall’ draws sarcastic comparisons to Singapore Changi fountain

Social media users mocked Delhi’s poor infrastructure after a portion of the roof at the city’s airport collapsed. Visuals of water pouring into the facility invited rueful comparisons to Singapore’s Jewel Changi Airport - home to the world’s tallest indoor fountain.

Six people were injured and one died at Indira Gandhi International Airport Terminal 1 after a part of the forecourt’s canopy collapsed early Friday. The collapse occurred following a night of heavy rainfall in the national capital.

On Friday morning, all flights out of Terminal 1 of Delhi airport were suspended, leading to widespread disruption in travel plans. Meanwhile, other areas of the city were submerged following the night of thunderstorms and rainfall.

Videos of water pouring down from the airport’s leaking roof prompted a flood of social media memes. The HSBC Rain Vortex at Singapore’s Jewel Changi Airport stands 40 metres high - as tall as a seven-storey building, which makes it the tallest indoor fountain in the world.

Take a look at some sarcastic memes comparing Delhi to Singapore:

“Changi Airport (Singapore) VS Delhi Airport,” wrote one X user, sharing pictures of the 7-storey HSBC Rain Vortex Waterfall at Singapore airport.

“No need to go to Singapore, just go to Delhi and enjoy,” another person wrote.

X user Neha called it “Same same but different.”

According to news agency PTI, the roof collapse at Delhi airport Terminal 1 comes less than four months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi presided over the opening of an upgrade of the terminal, to allow it to handle 40 million passengers a year, up from 17 million previously.

Delhi Airport is one of the busiest in the world, handling 72 million passengers in 2023, according to Airports Council International. Terminals 1 and 2 handle domestic passengers, while Terminal 3 handles all international travellers.

(Also read: Delhi airport chaos: Passengers flood X with complaints as flights cancelled amid roof collapse, heavy rain)

(With inputs from PTI)