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16 May 2017

Fire at Changi Airport Terminal 2




Fire at Changi Airport Terminal 2 causes flight delays; 3 taken to hospital for smoke inhalation



SINGAPORE - A fire broke out at Changi Airport Terminal 2 on Tuesday (May 16) evening, resulting in passengers being evacuated and flights diverted to Terminal 3.


Three people were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation. The fire was put out about an hour later but passengers were told to expect significant delays as all flights out of T2 were grounded during the evening peak period.


Traffic to T2 was blocked off, resulting in long jams building up as travellers make their way to other terminals. Long queues formed at T3 where departing passengers were diverted to.


The police said in a Facebook post that they were alerted to a fire at the departure hall of Changi Airport T2 at 5.43pm.



Smoke was seen coming through the air vents, according to passengers. The fire alarm was activated and passengers were evacuated. Departing flights were grounded, and arriving passengers were asked to disembark onto the tarmac.


A spokesman for the Changi Airport Group (CAG) told The Straits Times that the fire alarm was activated at Changi Airport T2 at about 5.40pm due to smoke coming through the air vents. "Evacuation of the terminal was initiated and the Changi Airport Emergency Service team is onsite," said the spokesman.


Changi Airport said in an update on its Facebook page at 6.38pm that it had identified the cause of the fire.


"The situation is under control. Flight operations at T2 are affected. We seek the understanding of the public," it said.
The Straits Times understands that the fire may have started at the aircon unit area at level 5. 
The Singapore Civil Defence Force, in an update on its Facebook page at about 7pm,  said the small fire was put out using a hosereel jet.
Multimedia videographer Aileen Teo, 26, told ST that she was at the T2 hangar with more than 100 people evacuated from the planes.
She had landed when she was evacuated at about 6.30pm. The evacuees were told to wait for instructions, and most appeared calm, with some directed to wait at the hangar and others directed to various exits.
"When we touched down, we were told to evacuate," said Ms Teo. "People are quite OK, there are some sitting on the ground waiting for instructions. We were given water and toilet breaks are being arranged."
ST understands that people were evacuated from the entire departure hall for safety concerns.
  • Timeline of events

  • 5.40pm: Smoke is seen coming through the air vents at Terminal 2. Fire alarm 2 activates, starting  an evacuation. Departing flights are grounded. Arriving passengers disembark onto the tarmac.
    6.38pm:  Changi Airport  says situation is under control and fire's cause identified.  But adds flight operations at T2 affected. By this time, traffic to T2 is blocked off. Long jams build up as travellers make their way way to T1.
    7.04pm: SCDF says a "small" fire has been put out using a hosereel jet.
    7.29pm: Changi Airport  tells passengers departing from T2 to expect "significant delays". Those departing T2 are being told to gather at T3 to await instructions.
    8.45pm: Affected passengers are told to head to bus bays for briefing by airline representatives. Exhaust fans are run to clear smell of smoke in T2  as cleaning process begins. 
ST reader Stella Koh also sent pictures of people being evacuated from planes to the tarmac.
Ms Koh, a 27-year-old sales manager, said her husband Marcus Lim was heading to Kuala Lumpur.
He said it was very smoky, and he was initially barred from entering when he tried to get through customs.
The 31-year-old business development manager saw people being evacuated onto the tarmac when he was at the departure gate.
He later managed to get on his Singapore Airlines flight, as the part of the terminal he was at was not affected. However, Ms Koh said other flights were delayed.
SBS Transit said in a tweet at 6.57pm that a few bus services were skipping a stop at Changi Airport due to the fire.

Please be informed that service 24, 27 and 53 will skip Changi Airport PTB2 bus stop due to fire incident.
Singapore Airlines said in a Facebook post at 7.50pm that all Singapore Airlines flights departing and arriving in T2 will be delayed until further notice due to the fire.
Photos and videos posted on social media show many people being evacuated and smoke in the hall.





Mass evacuation at Changi Airport in Singapore due to u explained smoke

Okay i shall do some live updates
Situation at changi airport t2: they just brought someone out on a stretcher. Hope he/she's gonna be okay pic.twitter.com/ZllMr0NeBP

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