The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has launched an investigation into a fire incident that occurred on Thursday at the E54 bridge of the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja.
Mrs. Obiageli Orah, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at FAAN, made this known in a statement according to News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday.
Efforts are underway to ventilate the smoke from the affected building. The smoke was observed billowing from the E54 passenger Bridge, prompting electrical engineers to promptly cut off power to the entire E Wing.
What she said
- “The Airport Rescue and Firefighting Services (ARFFS) team was quick to respond, arriving at the scene by 5.30 a.m.
- “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 6.41 a.m.
- “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,” Orah said.
Orah also indicated that further details would be provided as the investigation progresses.
What you should know
The recent fire incident at the Lagos airport is not an isolated occurrence. Last September, Nairametrics reported two separate fire incidents that damaged parts of the facilities owned by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
The first incident occurred on a Tuesday night around 8 p.m., where some sections of FAAN’s Account Department in Lagos airport were affected by fire. The following morning at 7:23 a.m., the international terminal of the airport was engulfed in flames.
The recurrence of fire incidents has raised concerns among airport users, particularly air travelers, who fear for their safety. The incident at the international terminal on Wednesday morning intensified apprehension, prompting travelers to hurriedly seek refuge to avoid harm from the fire.
