Lagos Airport Fire: 14 Rescued, Zero Fatalities

When smoke began rising from the Old Terminal at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on February 23rd, emergency crews faced a race against time. Fourteen people were trapped inside the burning building as flames climbed from the ground floor to the roof.

But this story isn't about disaster. It's about what happened next.

Every single trapped person walked out alive. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria activated emergency procedures immediately, coordinating multiple agencies in a rescue operation that saved all 14 individuals without a single fatality.

Six people needed medical attention after the rescue, three men and three women, all now in stable condition. One person required transfer to FAAN Headquarters Hospital for further evaluation and remains stable.

Airport Managing Director Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku credited the zero-fatality outcome to teamwork between emergency services. "What is critical is making sure we were able to activate our emergency operating procedures and get everybody out of the building with no fatality," she told reporters at the scene.

The fire forced three international flights (British Airways, Lufthansa, and Emirates) to divert temporarily. Operations resumed within 30 minutes of the incident being contained.

The Bright Side

This rescue showcases exactly what emergency preparedness looks like in action. FAAN's team didn't just respond to crisis; they executed protocols that prioritized human life above all else.

The terminal was already scheduled for major renovation as part of a N712 billion rehabilitation project approved last year. Civil and structural engineers are now assessing the building's integrity to determine next steps, while investigators work to identify the fire's cause.

Workers had been moving equipment out of the terminal ahead of planned renovations when the fire started on the ground floor around 3:20 pm. The timing, while unfortunate, meant fewer people were in the building than usual.

Nigeria's aviation sector now has a real-world example of emergency systems working exactly as designed: swift coordination, professional execution, and every life protected.