A fire erupted inside Lahore's Allama Iqbal International Airport at the immigration counters on Thursday morning, completely destroying the system and bringing flight operations to a standstill.
The fire was later brought under control, while airport officials said it would take time for the smoke to clear. Passengers were not allowed to enter until the premises were clear.
Due to the fire, there was a rush in the parking area of people coming to pick up passengers or to see them off.
According to a preliminary investigation, the fire at the immigration counters was caused by a short circuit and spread rapidly to a large portion of the airport. It caused a stampede among passengers, while the entire airport was evacuated, authorities said.
The incident occurred at approximately 5:45am, disrupting flight operations and causing a sudden rush of passengers.
The Airport Security Force (ASF) personnel were the first to respond to the incident and swiftly sprang into action, endeavouring to contain the flames, while firefighters from the Civil Aviation Authority also raced to the scene. Despite their efforts, the blaze destroyed the immigration system, forcing a complete suspension of flight operations.
Flights affected
As the Federal Investigation Agency's technical team was busy fixing the system, officials said it would take at least three hours to make it functional again.
The first Hajj flight of PIA was set to depart from the Lahore airport this morning at 8:30am. Intending pilgrims and other passengers were immediately evacuated to safer areas as a precautionary measure. Among the evacuees, a woman and a child fell ill due to the smoke and were shifted to a hospital.
The Hajj passengers, who had boarded, were called back to the airport lounge.
All the international flights inbound to Lahore were rerouted to alternate airports across the country. A Sri Lankan Airlines flight bound for Lahore was diverted back mid-air.
Two flights en route from Dubai to Lahore were diverted to Islamabad, while four others from Dubai, Jeddah, and Doha landed at the Lahore Airport. The authorities were clearing passengers through manual immigration.
At least six international flights of local and foreign airlines, including PIA and outbound from Lahore, were delayed because of the fire.
According to a Notam issued by the airport authorities, international flight operations from the Lahore airport were suspended for five hours, due to which 30 international flights to and from the city were cancelled. Later, the duration of suspension of international flights was extended till 10pm.
This duration was extended due to the immigration system being updated, said aviation officials.
Air operations from Karachi to Lahore have also been affected by the fire, while only the domestic side was being used for Hajj flights. All the flights between Karachi and Lahore are facing delays, which include all airlines.
A CAA spokesperson has confirmed that domestic air operations are not operational.
Investigation
Later, a team of the Civil Aviation Authority officials was formed to determine the reasons for the fire that broke out in the ceiling of the immigration counter. The reasons for the fire were being ascertained under the supervision of the airport manager, while the cooling process had been initiated.
A preliminary report of the incident has been submitted to Aviation Minister Khawaja Asif. Two top civil aviation officials have been ordered to reach Lahore airport immediately.
