International flights were diverted with six confirmed injured and the police deploying a helicopter during the fire at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos on Monday.
As at press time, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said the fire had been contained and the airspace opened.
The Managing Director of FAAN, Olubunmi Kuku, told journalists on Monday there were no fatalities, but six people sustained injuries during the incident.
She said three international flights were diverted.
They were those operated by Emirates, British Airways, and Lufthansa.
According to Kuku: “Some of our operations were affected.
“However, they will be back up and running in the next half an hour.”
She said the immediate priority was containing the fire, while investigations into the cause were ongoing.
“What is important is that we activated our emergency procedures and evacuated everyone with no fatalities due to coordinated efforts by all agencies,” she said.
Kuku said the airport’s Emergency Operations Centre had been activated, led by the airport manager as chief safety and security officer.
She said: “He is taking charge.
“There is a standard procedure we follow when it comes to emergencies.”
She noted that coordination among agencies followed established protocols, with support from relevant state authorities where necessary.
On renovation works, Kuku said projects were ongoing within the airport, but not in the area where the fire reportedly began.
She said: “In the area we believe the fire started, nothing was happening at the time.
“People were only moving items out.
“The fire started from the ground floor, from our investigations so far.
“We are awaiting confirmation and cannot say more at this time.”
Kuku confirmed the fire escalated to the roof, adding that police and helicopters supported rescue operations swiftly.
“We have professionals, including civil and structural engineers, to assess the building’s integrity and determine the next steps,” she said.
