There was confusion in the early hours of Thursday when a suspicious electrical spark triggered fire at the E54 wing of the old terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

Officials of the Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Services (ARFFS), responded to the incident mobilising to put out the fire from spreading to other parts of the terminal.

Confirming the incident, spokesperson of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs Obiageli Orah said the quick intervention of the electrical engineers saved the situation as they immediately cut off power supply to the E Wing axis of the terminal.

She said all flight operations in terminal One of the Lagos International Airport have been diverted to the D Wing.

Orah said the initial suspicions point to sparks from an electrical unit but said a thorough investigation was ongoing to ascertain the cause of the fire.

Sources at the airport said the incident occured about 3.30 am but the fire was brought under control by 06.41 hours.

Orah said efforts to ventilate the smoke from the building was in progress.