A major fire outbreak on Monday afternoon disrupted flight operations at the international wing of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, forcing several foreign airlines to divert their inbound flights to Abuja and airports in neighbouring countries.
The inferno, which affected Terminal 1 of the country’s premier aviation gateway, led to the diversion of flights operated by British Airways, Lufthansa, and Emirates.
The fire also triggered the temporary evacuation of 12 air traffic controllers stationed at the airport’s control tower. They were safely evacuated using cranes and other specialised equipment as emergency responders battled thick smoke and intense heat that engulfed parts of the facility.
Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Olubunmi Kuku, said the exact cause of the fire had yet to be determined. She said the authority immediately activated its emergency response plan to safeguard lives and critical infrastructure.
According to her, no fatalities were recorded, but six persons sustained injuries and are currently receiving medical attention. She described their condition as stable.
Kuku said the incident caused significant disruption to airport operations, prompting the authority to establish a temporary departure hall and deploy a remote control tower to minimise the impact on flight movements and passenger processing.
“Despite the magnitude of the incident, our emergency response mechanisms worked as designed. We ensured that everyone within the affected areas was safely evacuated,” she said.
She added that FAAN, in collaboration with relevant emergency and security agencies, was working around the clock to fully contain the situation and restore normal operations at the terminal.
A team of professionals drawn from the building and engineering sector will conduct a comprehensive structural integrity assessment to determine the extent of damage to the facility.
Kuku commended the swift intervention of the Lagos State Government, the Nigerian Air Force, the National Emergency Management Agency, the Nigeria Police Force, and other agencies that supported the emergency response.
“We cannot establish the cause of the fire yet, but preliminary findings point to the ground floor of the terminal, from where it spread to other parts of the building,” she said. “The impact was substantial, with three major international carriers diverting their flights. However, we are working tirelessly to ensure the resumption of normal activities as soon as possible.”
There was visible anxiety among passengers and airport workers as thick smoke billowed across the terminal, grounding flights and bringing operations to a temporary halt.
The airport is currently undergoing a N712.25 billion renovation project which began last year. Under the schedule, the old terminal is expected to be shut down next month, with operations transitioning to a New Temporary Terminal and Terminal 2 to handle passenger traffic during the construction period.
The airport, the largest in West Africa, was built in 1979 and named after former Head of State, Murtala Muhammed, who ruled between July 1975 and February 13, 1976, before he was assassinated during a failed military coup.
