Fire at Lahore Airport's lounge disrupts hajj flight operations

LAHORE, May 09: A short circuit sparked a fire in the lounge of Allama Iqbal International Airport, causing smoke to fill the area. This incident affected the Hajj flight as pilgrims were evacuated from the lounge.
According to airport sources, the fire broke out around 5:00 am, and due to the smog, the alarm couldn't be sounded. After the fire was reported, the Aviation Fire Brigade personnel arrived nearly an hour later. Following the incident, the interior building of Lahore Airport was evacuated.
Due to the fire, the first Hajj flight from Lahore to Medina, PK 717, faced delays. Pilgrims were taken out of the airport lounge due to the smoke causing a foul odor. Immigration systems were completely affected due to the fire and smoke, causing delays in both domestic and international flights operating in and out of Lahore.
On the other hand, a team from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has been formed to investigate the causes of the fire. According to CAA, a short circuit occurred in the special immigration area built for Hajj pilgrims, resulting in the fire incident. The situation has now been brought under control, and arrangements are being made to handle Hajj and other international flights through the domestic side. Domestic flight operations are expected to resume soon, and manual immigration processing is underway for flights landing at Lahore Airport.
According to immigration authorities, the closure of counters due to the fire and smoke caused delays in the departure of six flights, including Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and other domestic and international airlines. Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has ordered an inquiry into the fire incident at Lahore Airport.