Flight operations were temporarily suspended on Monday after a fire broke out at Terminal One of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, forcing authorities to shut the airspace in line with safety procedures.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), which confirmed the incident, said emergency response teams were immediately deployed to contain the fire and secure the facility. The agency added that six people — three men and three women — sustained injuries in the incident but are all in stable condition.
According to FAAN, one of the injured persons has been transferred to the FAAN Headquarters Hospital for further medical evaluation and remains stable.
In a significant rescue operation, FAAN disclosed that a crane was deployed to assist emergency teams at the Control Tower. Fourteen people who were initially trapped in the facility were successfully rescued and safely evacuated.
“Emergency response operations remain active, with coordinated firefighting, rescue, and safety teams continuing containment and recovery efforts,” the authority said in an update.
The agency further revealed that, as a precautionary measure, the sixth floor of the affected building has been completely evacuated to support ongoing rescue operations and reduce risk.
Preliminary findings by the fire service indicate that the fire started in the server room located on the first floor of Terminal One. FAAN said the fire within the departure hall is now largely under control, while responders continue to closely monitor the situation to prevent it from spreading to other sections of the terminal.
“In line with established safety protocols, the airspace remains temporarily closed,” FAAN stated. “Meanwhile, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) is actively working to establish a temporary Control Tower to enable the safe and timely restoration of airport operations as soon as practicable.”
The authority emphasised that all emergency procedures were promptly activated and that it is working closely with relevant emergency and support agencies to safeguard lives, infrastructure, and airport operations.
TheCable gathered that the disruption has already affected international travel. An Air France flight en route from Paris to Lagos, which departed around 3 p.m., is reportedly returning to Paris due to the temporary closure of the airspace.
Earlier, FAAN had confirmed that the fire incident occurred at Terminal One of the airport and initially reported no loss of life. Emergency teams began the evacuation of passengers and airport personnel while firefighting efforts intensified.
To strengthen its response, FAAN activated mutual aid arrangements and called for reinforcements from the Lagos State Government, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), and other emergency bodies.
The cause of the fire will be subject to further investigation as authorities assess the full extent of damage and work toward restoring normal flight operations.
