Workers of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) were nearly asphyxiated this morning when thick smoke emanating from serious fire from one part of the headquarters of the agency engulfed the whole offices and forced the workers to scamper for safety.
When called, one of the officers from Public Affairs Department he responded, “Please I can’t talk now. This place is choking. I can’t breathe!” as he struggled to escape from the building.
The fire, which sent huge smoke spiralling into the air crippled activities and forced traffic gridlock at the link road between General Aviation Terminal and the international wing of the airport, from Ikeja –Agege Motorway.
“From that reception down to the Public Affairs Department area is finished. That is what I saw,” said an official of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) who witnessed the fire.
Motorists are currently facing a harrowing experience, struggling to access the international wing of the airports, as warnings are going on that motorists should divert from the airport area at Mobalaji Bank Anthony Way.
As at the time of filing this report, no one knows the cause of the fire, where it started from or the extent of damage it has caused and the impact, but there is suspicion that it might have been caused by electrical problem.
Curious bystanders trooping to the scene have exacerbated the gridlock and FAAN and other airport workers have resorted to trekking, as idlers began to converge at the scene.
Witnesses speaking to the Guardian however claimed that the fire broke out just as officials were resuming for work.
Investigations have however commenced to unravel the cause of the early morning inferno, according to the spokesperson of the FAAN, Henrietta Yakubu.
“The incident, which affected some offices, is being investigated right now to find out the cause of the outbreak,” read a statement she made available to The Guardian.
“The fire department, in collaboration with the Lagos State Fire Department and other security agencies however responded swiftly by curtailing the spread of the fire, as normalcy is being restored already.”
The statement went on to also assure the general public that the incident did not affect operations at the airport “as normal operations continue unhindered.”
Source: Thisdaylive.com; Guardian.ng
