Fire disrupts one terminal at Kenya's main airport in Nairobi

Terminal 1C at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in the capital Nairobi has been temporarily closed following night fire.

Kenya Airports Authority says the flames that broke out at 11.44pm on Wednesday were caused by a baggage-belt-system malfunction.

The fire rocked operations at check-in counters 7 and 8.

The airport's authority on Thursday said flight operations at the affected arrival and departure center had been moved to Terminal 1B.

“All passengers and staff at the terminal were evacuated safely and the fire contained by the airport’s fire team. No injuries were reported during the incident,” KAA said in a series of tweets.

KAA said it would re-open the terminal as soon as the damage the fire caused is fixed.

“We regret any inconvenience caused by this incident and would like to assure the general public that we are working to ensure that Terminal 1C is reopened for normal operations as soon as possible,” the authority said.

This is not the first time fire has hit operations at East African aviation hub.

In October 2018, a fire broke out at the Kenya Pipeline Company depot at the airport after a lorry that was loading oil sediment bust in flames.

In 2013, a fire at one of the airport’s terminal caused a major service interruption, with flights that were to land at being diverted to Moi International Airport in Mombasa and Kisumu International Airport.

The fire, according to an independent investigator, was caused by an electric fault, leaving a trail of damage.

The national carrier, Kenya Airways, lost over Sh35 million in the fire.

KAA did not say how many flights had been affected after the Wednesday night incident.