Passengers scream as flight suffers severe turbulence flying through deadly Delhi storm

An IndiGo flight from the Indian capital of Delhi to Srinagar in Kashmir, carrying over 200 passengers, hit severe turbulence during an unexpected hailstorm on Wednesday, reportedly causing minor damage to the aircraft’s nose.

The passengers faced the harrowing mid-air experience when the aircraft was caught in the violent storm. A viral video captured panicked scenes inside the cabin, with passengers screaming and crying as the plane shook violently from turbulence.

Despite the chaos, the flight landed safely in Srinagar at 6.30pm local time.

“IndiGo flight 6E 2142 operating from Delhi to Srinagar encountered sudden hailstorm en route. The flight and cabin crew followed established protocol and the aircraft landed safely in Srinagar,” the airline said in a statement on Wednesday.

“The airport team attended to the customers after arrival of aircraft, prioritising their wellbeing and comfort. The aircraft will be released post necessary inspection and maintenance.”

Among the passengers on board was Sheikh Samiullah, a startup co-founder from Srinagar. He told news agency PTI: “Everything seemed normal, until the pilot suddenly announced a rough patch ahead and asked us to fasten our seat belts. I’m a frequent flyer, but I’ve never experienced turbulence like this. It was terrifying. I’m truly grateful to the pilot for landing us safely,” said Mr Samiullah, the co-founder of FastBeetle, a logistics tech platform.

“Heart’s still racing, but I feel like I’ve been reborn. Grateful to Allah,” he later wrote on X.

Another passenger who was aboard the plane, Owais Maqbool Hakeem wrote on X: “It was a near death experience. The nose of the plane is damaged...There was panic and people were screaming. Everyone was scared.”

The airline has not publicly confirmed reports of any damage to the aircraft. The Independent has reached out to IndiGo for comment.

Meanwhile, bad weather in Delhi has led to the delay or diversion of several domestic and international flights, according to airport sources cited by ANI.

Airlines like IndiGo and Air India have issued advisories urging passengers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport. IndiGo noted that heavy rain and thunderstorms in Delhi, Chandigarh, and Kolkata are disrupting flight schedules.

This comes as Delhi and NCR witnessed a severe dust storm on Wednesday. After days of extreme heat, Delhi-NCR experienced a sudden weather change on Wednesday evening, with heavy rain, hailstorms, and strong winds. The storm caused uprooted trees, waterlogging, traffic jams, and damage to windows and hoardings in areas like Noida.

A 50-year-old woman, Sunita Devi, and her two-year-old grandson died after a railing net from a 21-storey building crashed onto them during the fierce dust storm in Greater Noida’s Migsun Ultimo on Wednesday.

They were about to enter their residential tower when the net, which covered a shaft, broke due to strong winds and fell on them, The Indian Express reported.

Sunita Devi was visiting her daughter and son-in-law when the accident happened. The child succumbed to injuries during treatment.

With their deaths, the toll from the storm across Delhi-NCR has risen to six.

Earlier, four others were killed in Delhi and Ghaziabad, as the powerful storm caused widespread disruption – uprooting trees, damaging vehicles, affecting Delhi Metro and flight operations, and triggering power outages.