Panic broke out on Wednesday at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos after a fire engulfed part of the airport’s temporary terminal building, forcing the evacuation of passengers, airline crew and airport staff.
According to a report by SAHARAREPORTS, eyewitnesses said thick smoke suddenly filled the terminal, triggering confusion and fear among travellers who rushed to exit the building as emergency officials moved in to manage the situation.
“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 told journalists.
According to airport sources, the incident occurred shortly after a flight operated by Ethiopian Airlines had completed boarding and departed from the terminal.
Emergency response teams were immediately activated, with firefighters from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) deployed to battle the blaze and prevent it from spreading to other parts of the facility.
“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,” another witness said.
As of the time of filing this report, the cause of the fire has not been determined, and there were no confirmed reports of casualties or injuries.
The latest incident comes weeks after another fire outbreak at the airport earlier this year disrupted operations. During that incident, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Farouk Umar, disclosed that key air-to-ground communication systems were destroyed in the blaze at Terminal 1 of the airport.
Umar said the damage forced air traffic controllers to rely on emergency backup systems to sustain flight operations and caused significant disruption to air traffic services.
Authorities are yet to issue an official statement on the latest fire as efforts continue to contain the blaze and assess the extent of the damage.