A fire broke out in a room holding air-conditioning equipment, leading to an unprecedented evacuation at Changi Airport Terminal 2 (T2) on Tuesday (May 16), Todayonline reported.
Thousands of passengers were stranded; about 40 flights from at least 13 airlines were affected.
Three people were sent to Changi General Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation, according to the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). Four others received medical attention at the airport clinic, Changi Airport Group (CAG) said in a statement on Tuesday night.
The cause of the fire is being investigated.
At 5.40pm, the fire alarm went off due to smoke emerging from the terminal’s air vents. More than four hours later, at about 10pm, the SCDF gave the all-clear for T2 to reopen, and flight operations were to resume progressively. Normal operations at Terminal 2 resumed at 3am on Wednesday. The first departing flight from T2 was an IndiGo flight at 5.40am.
The fire, which the SCDF described as “small”, was put out in about an hour by firefighters. The terminal remained closed partly due to the lingering smoke from the fire. Bus services to the airport were also affected.
CAG stressed in a statement that the safety of passengers and visitors was its “immediate priority”. Additional manpower and resources were activated to facilitate the flights moved to T3; airport staff and airline partners also helped to direct passengers.
CAG advised passengers departing or arriving at the airport today to check the airport’s website, app or social media channels for the latest information.