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WATCH: Roof collapse at Jakarta airport after heavy rain captured in viral video; triggers panic
Viral video shows passengers fleeing as ceiling gives way at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport; no major injuries reported
Panic broke out at Soekarno -Hatta International Airport, Jakarta, Indonesia, after a section of the roof at Terminal 3 collapsed following torrential rain, sending passengers running for safety as debris fell inside the terminal on Monday afternoon.
A viral video circulating on social media shows water pouring through the ceiling before panels suddenly give way, prompting travelers to run hither and thither.
Reports indicate that the incident occurred amid heavy rainfall going on in the city for days. This may have compromised the structure and caused water accumulation in the ceiling.
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Watch: What happened at Terminal 3?
According to reports cited by Travel and Tour World, the collapse took place inside Terminal 3, one of the airport’s main international terminals, during heavy rainfall. The ceiling above Gate 7 of the Terminal gave way at approximately 1:40pm local time.
The downpour reportedly led to water leakage and structural strain, culminating in parts of the ceiling collapsing.
The 57-second video recording started with the leak, which began at the top of the airport's roof. The leak continued to worsen until the ceiling was shattered, resulting in water spilling on the TV kept under the ceiling.
One of the passengers travelling to Singapore from the airport reported, “The incident at gate 7, around 13.40 WIB. There were quite a lot of people, thank God, I still had time to run.” The passenger reported seeing a large number of people waiting for the boarding process.
Read more: 7 dead, 82 missing after landslide hits Indonesia, says disaster agency
Only a brief intervention
Yudistiawan, Assistant Deputy Communication and Legal Officer of Soekarno-Hatta Airport, stated that the roof disruption was brief and “lasted for about 5 minutes.”
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He stated that the disruption was swiftly handled and said, “Airport operational officers immediately handled it, including cleaning and restricting the affected area, so that the condition can be immediately controlled.”
He further assured that for 24 hours, airport personnel monitored all facilities, including building infrastructure. If they detected any potential interference, the surrounding area was cleared of passengers and airport workers to reduce the damage, VOI reported.
