Passengers and workers at the international wing of Murtala Mohammed Airport were on thrown thrown into a pandemonium by a sudden surge of thick smoke into the halls of the airport.
People ran helter-skelter in utter confusion as the thick smoke meandered through the crevices into the airport building.
It was already apprehensive people, and the smoke may have conjured ideas in their heads giving impetus to their jumpy reaction: passengers and others simply made for different directions as they sought escape from whatever their minds could conceive was brewing. Many ran out of the terminal building.
The smoke was eventually traced to an electrical spark in one of the panels on the fifth floor of airport.
The incident happened at about 11:45a.m
As at 12 noon, the smoke had permeated the building finding its way to the first floor of the building that serves as departure hall for travelling passengers.
Many passengers said that they were being choked by the smoke which enveloped the hall when most out-bound travellers were arriving the airport to complete boarding formalities.
It was learnt that the airport firemen were prompt in responding to the incident.
A fire tender machine marked P6-03 and a water Hydrant Hilux vehicle with Lagos registration number FKJ 407 AS were parked outside the terminal while the firemen, numbering about 12 searched the building from floor to floor.
General Manager, Public Affairs of the the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Yakubu Dati, while confirming the incident, described it as a “minor smoke” which was contained by the airport management.
