Lahore: A massive fire broke out at Allama Iqbal International Airport in Pakistan’s Lahore on Thursday causing delays to both Hajj and international flights.
According to a preliminary investigation, the fire broke out due to a short circuit in the ceiling of the immigration counter.
Rescue teams have reached the airport to control the situation and no loss of life has been reported as of now. The airport authorities said a short circuit had caused the fire and it was immediately brought under control, according to Aaj News, adding that the fire happened around 5 am in the morning on May 9.
Several Pakistani outlets reported that the fire damaged the immigration system partially, after which the process of immigration was halted. The airport authorities also evacuated several passengers from the immigration lounge due to heavy smoke in the area. The process has been shifted to the domestic lounge of the airport for now, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said. The aviation body has not declared any emergency and no flight has been diverted away from the airport.
The fire has also delayed several Hajj flights, reports said. A total of six flights, including a Qatar Airways flight were delayed because of the fire.
