Tragedy Averted as Fire Engulfs Old International Terminal of Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos

Chinedu Eze

A major tragedy was averted yesterday at the old terminal of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, known as Terminal I, when fire engulfed the building, but was brought under control by fire fighters, as emergency responders evacuated the structure, ensuring only minimal damage.  

The fire was said to have started at the server room of the facility, and spread vertically to the last floor of the building.

No death was reported, but six people were injured.

THISDAY learnt that 14 Air Traffic Controllers, engineers, and other officials, who were on duty at the time of the fire, which started about 3pm, were evacuated with a crane that was quickly deployed by the company handling the reconstruction of the terminal.

Three international flights were diverted. A British Airways flight was diverted to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, while Lufthansa and Emirates Airlines flights were diverted to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.

The airspace was reopened at about 7:26pm, when Ethiopian Airlines flight departed the airport to Addis Ababa.

Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) confirmed that a crane was successfully deployed to support rescue operations at the Control Tower, and all 14 persons initially trapped were safely rescued and fully evacuated from the facility.

FAAN said, “A total of six casualties — comprising three males and three females — were recorded, all of whom are in stable condition.”

One of the affected persons was said to have been transferred to FAAN Headquarters Hospital for medical evaluation.

FAAN said as an additional safety precaution, the sixth floor of the facility was completely evacuated to support ongoing emergency operations and risk mitigation.

It stated, “Preliminary findings from the Airport Fire Service indicate that the fire originated from the server room on the first floor of Terminal 1.

“The fire within the departure hall is now largely under control, while responders continue close monitoring to prevent any spread to adjoining sections of the terminal.”

Giving details of the fire incident, Managing Director of FAAN, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, told newsmen that the incident would have led to fatalities if not for the prompt activation of emergency procedures that made it possible to get everyone out of the terminal.

Kuku stated, “What was important was to make sure that we were able to activate our emergency operating procedures and get everybody out of the building, with no fatality, due to all of the coordination done by the agencies.”

She said emergency responders took the lead to ensure there were no lapses, and the situation was brought under control.

The managing director stated, “There is an airport manager who’s pretty much the chief safety and chief security officer of the airport, along with his team members as well.

“He’s taking charge of that operation. There’s a standard procedure that we follow when it comes to emergencies.”

She disclosed that at the point of interface with newsmen, the cause of the fire and the exact point it started were yet to be established. Although, it was generally believed to have started from the server room and billowed to the top of the terminal.

Kuku said, “But within the area where we believe the fire started from, there was nothing happening at that time.

“Rather, what we did was to have people who were sort of moving things out, because you do know that there’s a major renovation coming up. There are renovation activities that are happening within the airport premises, yes.

“I cannot say more than that at this time. Of course, you can look behind me (the terminal) and you see that it did not escalate to the roof.

“We had all of the agencies here. We even had the police here. We had a number of helicopters that actually supported our rescue operations. And I would say that this was done very swiftly.”

The FAAN managing director also explained that most flight operations had been moved from the old terminal, which went on stream in 1979 and had been designated for total rehabilitation by the federal government.

She stated, “Most of our departures and even arrivals have already moved. Most of the departures moved into Terminal 2.

“We do have four airlines that were planned to move into the temporary terminal. The temporary terminal is ready. We just have a few kinks that we’re working out.

“I mentioned the next couple of days it will be active. So, in terms of the full operations that were affected, I would say not a lot.”

Airport Police Command, Ikeja, said it was the coordinated response to the fire outbreak that helped bring it under control.

The command said, in a statement, “At approximately 15:45 hours, a distress call was received via radio from the Aviation Security (AVSEC) base station, confirming a fire incident at the Old Terminal 1, which is currently undergoing major renovation and repair works. The fire reportedly extended towards the control tower area.

“In line with established emergency protocols and inter-agency collaboration, the Airport Police Command immediately activated its response mechanisms.

“A police helicopter was promptly deployed to the scene to provide aerial support and facilitate the safe evacuation of any workers or personnel who may have been trapped or at risk within the affected building.

Our officers, working closely with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria Rescue and Fire Fighting Services, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, and other emergency responders, are ensuring perimeter security, crowd control, and the protection of life and property throughout the operation.

“As at the time of this release, no casualties have been reported. Evacuation efforts remain ongoing, where necessary, and the situation is being closely monitored to prevent any secondary incidents or security breaches.”

In the last five years, the old international terminal had recorded many fire incidents, which might have contributed to the decision of the federal government to totally rebuild the facility.