…Air mishap averted in Port Harcourt***

There was pandemonium on Friday afternoon at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos following a fire outbreak at the Forte Oil Petrol Station.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the inferno which started around 2.10pm saw people running for safety thereby causing vehicular traffic jam on the roads within the airport.

The spokesperson for the Lagos Airport Police Command, DSP Joseph Alabi, told NAN that the incident occurred while a fuel tanker was discharging its product at the fuel dump.

“A tanker driver came to discharge fuel for them and during the process, fire broke out but it has been put off now.

“It was a disaster because everywhere was burnt down but there was no casualty.

“They called fire fighters from Lagos State Fire Service and also fire fighters from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) responded.

“It was through their efforts that the fire was put off without causing further damages to other nearby structures, ” Alabi said.

In the meantime, irate passengers have urged the minister of aviation to probe the near air mishap involving Aero Contractors on Thursday night at the Port Harcourt international airport.

Some of the passengers on board flight NIG 317 told The Guardian that the plane tyres at the point of landing failed to eject, thus, making it impossible for the aircraft to land for over 45 minutes.

The flight, which was scheduled to depart Lagos by 18:50pm, was delayed till 8:00pm when it eventually left for Port Harcourt.

The passengers explained that though throughout the flight, there was no sign of the impending mechanical malfunction; people however became agitated after the pilot announced that the plane was set to land and yet could not for over 45 minutes.

The flight eventually landed Port Harcourt airport at 10:00pm.

Agitated passengers have urged the minister of aviation to probe the incident and possibly audit the company’s planes in a bid to avert an air mishap.

Additional report from Guardian NG