Panic broke out on Wednesday at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, following a fire outbreak at the airport’s temporary terminal building, forcing the immediate evacuation of passengers, airline crew and staff.
Eyewitnesses said thick smoke suddenly engulfed the terminal, creating confusion as travellers scrambled to exit the facility.
A source at the airport said the incident occurred shortly after an Ethiopian Airlines flight had completed boarding and departed.
“The temporary terminal just caught fire. The whole building was covered with smoke. All passengers, crew and staff have been evacuated,” the source said.
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Officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) were said to have swiftly activated emergency response procedures, with firefighters deployed to contain the blaze and prevent casualties.
Another witness described the situation as tense in the early moments of the incident but noted that security personnel quickly restored order.
“There was panic initially, but people were asked to leave immediately. Security officials are managing the situation,” the witness said.
As at the time of filing this report, the cause of the fire had yet to be ascertained, while no casualty had been confirmed.
