Chinedu Eze
Operations were temporarily shut down Saturday at the new terminal of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja when sensors erroneously triggered anti-fire powders, which disrupted passenger facilitation.
The high temperature at the facility may have triggered the automatic anti-fire equipment, which preempts fire and puts it out automatically.
This was confirmed by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), which explained that the incident temporarily halted passenger facilitation at the terminal.
“FAAN hereby notifies the general public of a minor incident that occurred at the equipment room of the new international terminal of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at about 3:00pm today. The incident was however swiftly curtailed by the in-built fire detection and protection system at the new terminal that triggered automatically.
“The building was designed and built with this protection system. The system comes up when it senses high ambient temperatures and sprays fire extinguishing agent. The residue of powder sprayed by the system was seen in the cloud, there was no fire at all”, the agency said in a statement signed by the General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Mrs. Henrrieta Yakubu.
The agency however reassured travellers and other airport users that there was no cause for panic, “as the incident has been put under control and our fire men are clearing the reminant of powder after which operations will resume.”
