- Safiu Kehinde
Another fire outbreak has occurred at Murtala Muhammed International Airport as fire gutted part of airport terminal building, leaving passengers and airport staff to flee for safety.
This is coming barely two months after fire broke out at the MMIA Terminal One, affecting the IT Server Room and adjoining Radio Communication Room with 12 officials trapped.
The fresh incident occurred on Wednesday at the temporary terminal structure.
Eyewitnesses said the fire started suddenly, sending thick plumes of smoke across the terminal and triggering confusion among travellers.
“The temporary terminal just caught fire. The whole building is covered with smoke. All passengers, crew, and staff members have been evacuated,” a source at the airport said.
Another eyewitness reportedly disclosed that the incident occurred shortly after an Ethiopian Airlines flight had completed boarding and departed, a development that may have reduced the number of people inside the affected area.
“There was a lot of panic at first, but people were quickly asked to leave the building. Security officials are trying to manage the situation,” the witness said.
Meanwhile, emergency responders had since been deployed alongside firefighters from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to contain the blaze.
Security personnel also cordoned off the area and directed passengers to safety.
No official statement has been issued by the authorities to confirm the cause of the fire or whether there were casualties.
However, preliminary indications suggest that the rapid evacuation helped avert injuries.