A fire outbreak has engulfed Terminal 1 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, triggering an immediate emergency response from aviation authorities and multiple government agencies, even as officials confirmed no loss of life as of press time.
The incident was confirmed in an official statement issued by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), which reassured the public that its firefighting unit swiftly mobilised to contain the situation and prevent it from spreading to other sections of the terminal facility.
Thick smoke was seen rising from the building, while emergency responders moved quickly to contain the situation. The incident affected a section of the terminal currently undergoing a major renovation project worth several billions of naira.
In its updated statement, FAAN said emergency response operations were ongoing as firefighting teams continued efforts to fully contain and curtail the blaze, while the orderly evacuation of passengers and airport personnel was being carried out.
To strengthen response efforts, FAAN activated mutual aid arrangements, calling for reinforcements from the Lagos State Government, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, and other relevant emergency agencies.
The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at FAAN, Henry Agbebire, said authorities were already on the ground managing the situation and that the agency’s emergency response unit had swung into action to prevent further damage, assuring the public that there were no casualties from the incident.
Terminal 1, which is over four decades old, has been at the centre of a multi-billion-naira remodelling initiative by the Federal Government.
The cause of the fire had not been officially disclosed at the time of this report. FAAN pledged to communicate further verified updates as the situation develops.
