Short circuit triggers fire at Mumbai airport Terminal 1; no injuries

The Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) declared the blaze level-1 at 7.05 pm. Preliminary information from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) stated that the blaze remained confined to the ground floor of the ground-plus-three storey airport premises.

BMC officials said the fire affected electrical installations on the ground floor. Smoke billowed into the waiting area, triggering chaos amid concerns over delays and mismanagement. Check-in and security areas near the site were closed for inspection, causing crowding inside the terminal.

“My husband’s flight to Delhi was scheduled for 7 pm but took off at 9.30 pm. Every airline was affected and the entire system was down. I spoke to two other people travelling by other airlines who also said it was chaotic,” said a woman who did not want to reveal her identity.

To bring the blaze under control, MFB deployed four fire engines, four water tankers, a breathing apparatus (BA) van, rescue van and one quick response vehicle. The drive was overlooked by the Assistant Division Fire Officer (ADFO), while officials from civic ward office and police were also present at the site. The fire was extinguished at 9.20 pm.

Around 23 flights, including that of Indigo, Spice Jet, Akasa Air, and Star Air, initially scheduled between 7 pm and 9 pm were delayed, according to officials.

Vafia Gupta, who landed from Bengaluru, said her flight was delayed by about 25 minutes. “Even after landing, we had to wait nearly 20 minutes before the gate opened. There was also a lot of confusion around the baggage belts,” she said, adding many passengers inside the terminal appeared visibly frustrated.

Akasha Mathere, who arrived from Mangaluru on an IndiGo flight, reported a longer delay. He said the flight was held in the air for nearly 30 minutes before landing, without any explanation from the crew. “After landing, it took another 20 minutes to receive baggage,” he said.

An airport official, speaking on condition of anonymity, maintained that the incident had limited operational impact. “The incident was confined to a specific section of the terminal and did not impact airside operations. Flight movements continued as scheduled, with aircraft being managed through available operational bays and stands,” the official said.

“Some flights may have experienced minor delays of around 10 to 20 minutes due to precautionary measures and ground handling adjustments, but there was no major disruption. Aircraft were sequenced normally for landing and departure, and operations were not suspended at any point,” the official added.