Travel alert: Panic as fire breaks out at Lagos Airport

Flight operations at the E wing of Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA) in Nigeria have been redirected due to a fire incident.

The fire began early Thursday morning after smoke was detected at the E54 bridge.

According to Daily Trust, Airport Rescue and Firefighting Services (ARFFS), responded promptly to contain the fire, which caused a power outage in the affected area of the old international terminal.

This terminal has faced previous fire incidents, leading to occasional closures.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) acknowledged the fire, crediting airport firefighters’ swift action to prevent further damage.

FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mrs. Obiageli Orah, said, “At 05:29 hrs, smoke was detected billowing from the E54 Bridge, leading electrical engineers to immediately cut off power to the entire E Wing.

“The Airport Rescue and Firefighting Services (ARFFS) team was quick to respond, arriving at the scene by 05:30 hrs.

“Initial suspicions point to sparks from an electrical unit as the cause, but a thorough investigation is ongoing to ascertain the cause of the fire. The incident, which had escalated into a fire, was brought under control by 06:41 hrs.

“Efforts to ventilate the smoke from the building are in progress. In the meantime, all flight operations in Terminal 1 of MMA have been diverted to the D Wing.”