The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire outbreak at Terminal 2 of the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) in Lagos, contrary to an earlier announcement that prompted an emergency response.
The authority had initially stated on its social media platforms that a fire had occurred at the terminal.
“The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to inform the public that a fire incident has occurred at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
“The FAAN Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service (ARFFS) is currently responding to the incident and working diligently to contain the situation. There have been no reported casualties or loss of life,” the earlier statement read.
However, in a subsequent statement issued by FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, the authority clarified that preliminary investigations showed there was no fire at the terminal.
According to Agbebire, the smoke observed within the facility was caused by the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
He said investigations were ongoing to determine what triggered the automatic activation of the system.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement said.
FAAN assured passengers, airlines and other airport users that safety remained its highest priority, adding that a comprehensive investigation had commenced to establish the cause of the incident.
The authority also explained that the temporary congestion experienced at the terminal’s entry screening points resulted from the precautionary evacuation carried out after the smoke was detected.
According to FAAN, all passengers were safely evacuated before being allowed back into the terminal after emergency responders declared the area safe.
It added that all passengers and their baggage were required to undergo fresh security screening before re-entering the terminal, resulting in temporary delays and queues.
FAAN confirmed that the backlog had since been cleared and that passenger movement and terminal access had returned to normal.
