BREAKING: Flights diverted as fire engulfs Lagos airport terminal

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) today has diverted all flight operations from the E-Wing of the Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA), Lagos following a fire incident at the terminal .

It was gathered that a smoke was detected at E54 bridge of the terminal, reports Daily Independent.

A statement by Mrs. Obiageli Orah, the Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, FAAN, said that officials of the Airport Rescue and Firefighting Services (ARFFS), a department in the agency were swiftly mobilised to contain the fire, which had cut off power supply at the section of the old international terminal.

The old terminal has experienced a series of fire disasters necessitating its intermittent shutdown.

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.”