Fire Guts Lagos Airport Terminal 1, Six Casualties In Stable Condition

KEY POINTS

• A major fire broke out on Monday at Terminal 1 (Old International Terminal) of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
• FAAN confirmed the fire originated in the server room on the first floor and spread to the fourth and fifth floors.
• 14 staff members trapped in the control tower were safely rescued using a crane; six people were injured but remain in stable condition.
• Six casualties (three male, three female) are currently in stable condition, with one individual transferred to the FAAN Headquarters Hospital for further evaluation.
• Lagos airspace was temporarily closed and several international flights (British Airways, Lufthansa, Emirates) were diverted before the airport reopened at 7:30 PM.

MAIN STORY

Panic gripped the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos on Monday afternoon after a major fire broke out at Terminal 1, the airport’s older international facility. The blaze, which FAAN’s preliminary findings traced back to the server room on the first floor, began around 3:20 p.m. and sent thick smoke billowing through the departure hall, forcing an immediate and rowdy evacuation of passengers and staff. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) promptly activated its emergency response plan, deploying the Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighting Services (ARFFS) to contain the situation.

The incident caused significant operational disruption, most notably at the control tower where 14 personnel, initially reported as 12 became trapped as smoke engulfed the facility. FAAN Managing Director, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, confirmed that a dramatic rescue operation involving a specialized crane was successful in bringing all 14 personnel to safety without fatalities. To mitigate the impact on aviation services, the authority collaborated with the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to establish a temporary control tower, as the airspace was temporarily restricted, leading major carriers like British Airways, Lufthansa, and Emirates to reroute their flights to Abuja and Malabo.

While investigation into the exact electrical cause continues, FAAN has activated mutual aid arrangements with LASEMA and private partners like Julius Berger and CCECC to stabilize the site. The terminal, built over four decades ago, was already slated for a complete teardown and redesign, only its pillars and carcass were intended to remain as part of a ₦712 billion modernization project funded through the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Fund. Flight operations resumed by evening, with an Ethiopian Airlines cargo flight being the first to depart at 7:40 p.m.

WHAT’S BEING SAID

• “Preliminary findings by the fire service indicated that the blaze began in the server room on the first floor of Terminal 1 and later spread,” FAAN stated in its official update on X.
• Regarding the rescue, FAAN MD Olubunmi Kuku noted: “A crane was successfully deployed… and all fourteen persons initially trapped were safely rescued and fully evacuated from the facility.”
• “No loss of life has been recorded… further updates will be provided as more information becomes available,” the agency reassured the public.

WHAT’S NEXT

• FAAN and the Ministry of Aviation have launched a full investigation to determine the exact technical cause of the server room fire.
• NAMA is actively working to stabilize a temporary control tower to facilitate safe and orderly flight restorations for all international carriers.
• The 6th floor remains evacuated as a precaution while emergency teams continue to monitor for potential reignition in adjoining sections.

BOTTOM LINE

The Bottom Line is that while the server room fire caused significant operational chaos and diverted international traffic, the swift deployment of a rescue crane prevented a tragedy in the control tower. The incident underscores the fragility of the aging Terminal 1 infrastructure and validates the government’s decision to undergo a complete structural teardown and modernization of the facility.