Anxiety as fire guts Lagos airport, flight diverted

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has diverted flight operations out of Terminal 1 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos to the D Wing following a fire outbreak at the facility.

Smoke was detected billowing from the E54 Bridge, leading electrical engineers to immediately cut off power to the airport’s E Wing.

A statement by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Federal Airports Authority, (FAAN), Mrs Obiageli Orah Director, said that although the fire was brought under control at 06:41 am, all flight operations in Terminal 1 of MMA have been diverted to the D Wing.

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The statement reads: “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. More details will follow shortly.”