Fire engulfs 19 vehicles at NAIA
(UPDATE) A GRASS fire at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) ignited 19 vehicles in a car park on Monday, airport and fire authorities said, with videos on social media showing thick plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky.
There were no immediate reports of injuries.
«It started with one car that caught fire in the car park then the rest of the vehicles followed because it was so hot,» said Lane Macleod, who filmed one of the videos from inside the terminal.
«We were inside the airport at that time. We just saw it from the window,» she told Agence France-Presse.
Flight operations were unaffected by the blaze, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) said in a statement.
The MIAA said it received a report of the blaze at around 1:30 p.m. and the fire was extinguished within half an hour.
Fire officer Kristine Germino said it was not known what caused the grass fire.
The months of March, April, and May are typically the hottest and driest in the country but conditions have been exacerbated by the El Niño weather phenomenon.
MIAA General Manager Eric Ines said that the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) is investigating the incident.
«We are relieved to know that no one was hurt or injured in the incident. I have directed all pertinent MIAA units to give their full support to the BFP for the speedy completion of their investigation,» Ines said.
WITH BENJAMIN VERGARA
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