CHENNAI: A sudden fire in the store room on the second floor in the Chennai airport's international departure area caused a brief moment of tension on Tuesday.
The incident occurred around 12 pm at the office of a private airline. Initial reports said a short circuit triggered the fire in the room, which contained documents. A heavy blanket of smoke emanated from the fire, forcing the employees to rush out. Many files were destroyed in the fire.
Many passengers and airport personnel struggled to breathe due to the smoke, and two airport staffers subsequently fainted. They were treated at the hospital inside the airport.
The CISF personnel and emergency response teams immediately rushed to the spot and attempted to control the situation using fire extinguishers. Two airport fire tenders and two fire engines from the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services were deployed, and the situation was brought under control within 40 minutes. Officials clarified that there was dense smoke but no large flames.
Boarding pass issuance for departing international passengers was temporarily suspended, and passengers in the affected zone were evacuated. Once the smoke was cleared and safety checks were completed, normal operations resumed.
According to the airport officials, the situation was immediately brought under control. There has been no major damage, and all flight services are operating as usual. An investigation is under way to find the exact cause of the fire.