19 vehicles charred as fire hits Manila airport's parking area

Flights remain unaffected from the international airport, and no one was reported hurt or injured

By AFP

Published: Mon 22 Apr 2024, 12:58 PM

Last updated: Mon 22 Apr 2024, 5:54 PM

A grass fire at Manila's international airport 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.

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Video shared on social media and verified by AFP showed multiple vehicles ablaze in a car park in terminal three. The heat index was expected to reach 41 degrees Celsius at the airport on Monday, according to the state weather forecaster.

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"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 AFP.

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 pm (0530 GMT) 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 archipelago nation but conditions have been exacerbated by the El Nino weather phenomenon.

The country's heat index measures what a temperature feels like, taking into account humidity.

The actual temperature in the capital reached nearly 37C by mid-afternoon.

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