Flight operations disrupted as fire guts parts of Owerri airport

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) on Monday said it has commenced investigation into the fire incident at Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri.

Daily Trust reports that the incident which nearly caused stampede at the airport happened by 2pm on Monday.

The incident which occurred at the arrival section of the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport in Owerri, started around 2:10pm and raged for about 50 minutes before it was quenched by combined spirited efforts from men of the state fire service and the airport workers.

The cause of the inferno was not immediately known but a source at the airport said that there was an on-going renovation at the arrival department which was also razed.

Governor Rochas Okorocha, who confirmed the fire outbreak, expressed regret at the incident. Okorocha was delayed at the airport on his way to Abuja.

Heavy smoke was seen bellowing out from the airport terminal, as footage of the fire seen by our correspondent indicated.

Some passengers and airport workers were seen rushing out of the terminal building for safety while FAAN fire-fighters battled to put-out the fire.

However, no casualty was recorded in the incident, it was learnt but it affected flight operations into the airport.

For instance, an Air Peace flight that was to land at the airport was diverted to nearby Port Harcourt International Airport in Rivers state.

Spokesman of Air Peace, Mr. Chris Iwarah confirmed that its flight eventually landed at the airport after normalcy returned to the airport.

FAAN in a statement by the General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu said the inferno was “curtailed swiftly” by officers of its Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighting Services Department.

She said the incident affected some parts of the terminal building, confirming that there was no casualty and normal operations has since resumed at the airport.

“The Authority has commenced preliminary investigations into the cause of the incident”, she said.