Smoke fills Mactan airport arrival area; passengers evacuated

A security officer of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) covers his nose with a handkerchief to protect himself from smoke as he stops a passenger from entering the international arrival area, which had to be evacuated as smoke from a busted air handling unit filled the site. (CDN PHOTO/ JUNJIE MENDOZA)

Mactan airport authorities had to evacuate passengers and occupants of the terminal when thick black smoke filled the international arrival area of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) past noon yesterday.

There was no fireoutbreak, however.

The smoke was traced to an “electrical overload” in an air handling unit located below the international and domestic arrival areas.

Power was briefly shut off in the international arrival area. Airport operations returned to normal at 3 p.m.

“The smoke triggered our fire alarm system so we advised passengers to evacuate so they wouldn’t  end up coughing,” said Estee Marie Patiño-Plunket, GMCAC Corporate Affairs Head, in a telephone interview.

READ: Smoke streams out of Mactan-Cebu International Airport

She said airport fire fighters and Eruf personnel were dealing with the source of the smoke.

The airport’s alarm system sounded about 1:40 p.m. as  thick and foul-smelling smoke started to fill MCIA’s international arrival area.

The panel board in the  air handling unit was “electrically overloaded,” said SF04 Diomed Alburo, fire investigator of the Lapu-Lapu City Fire District.

He said the panel board was designed for the uninterrupted power system but it was also used for air conditioning units which caused an overload of the electrical circuit.

No fire spread due to the unit’s  fire and heat resistant cover.

Investigators  estimated the property damage at P1 million.

Four fire trucks and two ambulances responded to the fire alarm which was  placed under control at 2:25 p.m.

“As a precaution, passengers were evacuated from the terminal except those at the boarding gates.  The fire department of the airport and Eruf are dealing with the source of the smoke,” said a GMCAC statement.

Plunket said a flight  had just arrived at the airport while passengers were trying to claim their bags at the international arrival area.

“We sent out advisories through the airport’s public address system asking them to calm down and vacate the area.   There was no panic.  Our customer service executives were immediately deployed to assist the passengers and they were very cooperative,” she said.

No flight schedules were disrupted, she added.

Passengers at the international arrival area were moved to the nearby domestic arrival area.

While clearing operations were going on, airport authorities also placed on hold at the airport’s lounge 6 about 340 passengers from two domestic flights, said Plunket.

Passenger Antoine de Kervern who arrived about  1 p.m. from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with his girlfriend  said they were told not to disembark from the plane because there was a fire at the arrival area.

The 23-year-old student of Paris Sorbornne University said he, his  girlfriend and other plane passengers stayed calm.

“We didn’t panic because there was no fire,” he said.

The couple  plan to  go to Siargao City for their summer vacation.

Phuitin Kong, a Malaysian who is joining the Cobra Ironman 70.3 on Sunday,  said she was also told to stay at the plane for a few minutes while the management was securing the area.

“I think there was a fire but it was well-contained,” she said.