Operations have been restored at Lagos’s Murtala Muhammed airport after a 23 February fire caused substantial damage to Terminal 1.
Preliminary indications from the firefighting services indicate the blaze originated in a server room on the first floor of the terminal, and affected the departure hall, says the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.
It states that a crane was deployed to rescue 14 personnel from the control tower, while the air navigation service NAMA worked to set up a temporary tower.
“Intense deployment of firefighting vehicles, rescue equipment, and emergency personnel reflects the collective commitment and professionalism of all agencies on ground working tirelessly to contain the situation, safeguard lives, and protect critical airport infrastructure,” the airports authority adds.
Nigerian authorities temporarily closed airspace while emergency services dealt with the situation and brought the fire under control. Offices of the Nigerian meteorological service NiMET, including weather analysis equipment, were reportedly destroyed.
The terminal was due to undergo extensive renovation following the government’s approval, last year, of a N712 billion ($527 million) project.
China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation was selected to strip the terminal to its core and rebuild it.
Authorities have been preparing to open a temporary terminal to support operational continuity.
Aviation minister Festus Keyamo inspected the damaged Terminal 1 the following day, while also conducting a tour of the temporary terminal.
He states that co-ordination of authorities with emergency personnel safeguarded lives and limited the impact of the fire, adding that flight operations had fully resumed and that the airport remains safe for travel.
