The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that the smoke observed at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, on Sunday was not caused by a fire but by the discharge of the terminal’s fire suppression system.

The clarification came hours after the authority initially announced that a fire incident had occurred at the terminal, prompting an emergency response and raising concerns among passengers and airport users.

In its first statement, FAAN said a fire had broken out at Terminal 2 and disclosed that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service (ARFFS) had been deployed to contain the situation.

“The FAAN Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service is currently responding to the incident and working diligently to contain the situation,” the authority said, adding that no casualties or loss of life had been recorded.

The announcement triggered emergency response measures at the airport before FAAN issued a fresh update later in the day, clarifying the nature of the incident.

According to the authority, preliminary investigations showed there was no fire at the terminal.

“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN said.

The authority added that normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations continue to determine what triggered the fire suppression system.

“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” it added.

Any report of fire or smoke at an airport…