FAAN speaks on suspected fire incident at Abuja airport

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has stated that there was no fire incident at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Saturday.

There was chaos at the departure wing of the airport following a huge smoke that was sighted coming out from the terminal.

Upon seeing the thick smoke and fire alarm system, passengers and other users of the airport scampered for safety in different directions, fearing that it may have been another fire disaster.

However, the General Manager, Corporate Affairs of FAAN, Henrietta Yakubu, in a statement issued in Abuja, clarified that it was only an equipment alarm triggered by high temperature.

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Yakubu explained that the new international terminal was equipped with fire alarm that squarely responds to high temperature.

She added that the prevailing high temperature in Abuja caused the equipment to triggered an alarm at the terminal, stating what appeared like smoke was actually the powder from the equipment.

The incident, she said, was swiftly curtailed by the in-built fire detection and protection system at the new terminal that triggered automatically.

“The building was designed and built with this protection system.

“The system comes up when it senses high ambient temperatures and sprays fire extinguishing agent.

“The residue of powder sprayed by the system was seen in the cloud, there was no fire at all.

“The Authority will like to reassure passengers and the public that there is no cause for panic, as the incident has been put under control and our firemen are clearing the remnant of powder after which operations will resume,” she said.

An eye witness, who pleaded anonymity, told newsmen that the incident, which occurred at about 3pm was earlier believed to be fire.

He said the incident also caused a lot of panic that led to suspension of operations at the terminal.

According to him, it appears the fire alarm is very active which made the situation to be quickly curtailed.

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