The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo yesterday confirmed that Monday’s fire at the Murtala Muhammed International Lagos Terminal 1 destroyed the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET)’s weather reading equipment.

Speaking during an inspection of the burnt terminal, he said the agency’s operational offices and meteorological instruments located on the upper floors of the building were entirely gutted by the blaze.

The fire left at least six people seriously injured, with about 12 Air Traffic Controllers and other airport users temporarily trapped before being rescued.

According to the minister, the full extent of the damage has yet to be determined because parts of the building remain structurally unsafe for thorough inspection. Keyamo said: “Our NiMet equipment and offices where weather reading is carried out are totally gone.”

He explained that alternative stations within NiMet’s nationwide network would provide weather data for Lagos while temporary arrangements are put in place pending the replacement of the destroyed equipment.