Anna International Airport in Chennai started operations on the New Integrated Terminal Building (Phase-1) in April 2023. After operating these few months, the safety experts of the aviation industry reported some chances of a fire safety breach here. They have found a problem inside the airport premises and have already taken this matter to the Chennai Airport’s director and the Airports Authority of India.
What Really Happened At The Chennai Airport?
The aviation safety experts noticed sealed emergency exits at the airport, according to a report by Financial Express. The importance of security developments such as emergency doors is evident to everyone and it is necessary to prioritise this as well. The purpose of such exits is to help people to save themselves and run away from places in times of unfortunate incidents. Following pointing out the sealed emergency doors at the Chennai Airport, the experts are concerned about what can potentially happen during urgent situations with sealed emergency doors at the airport. The airport could not completely meet all the necessary fire safety standards.
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In fact, the situation is now getting compared to the Uphaar Cinema fire incident. The unforgettable accident occurred on 13 June 1997 in Delhi. Border movie was screening at the time when the fire broke out. This tragic incident took away the lives of 59 people.
All About The Fire Safety Breach:
The issue is a serious one as the probable outcomes of any emergency with sealed emergency exits can be gruesome. This breach incident at the Chennai Airport is being handled by Capt Amit Singh, according to the Financial Express report. He is the lead member at the NGO Safety Matters Foundation and he is also leading in handling this specific concern. Capt Amit Singh communicated this serious matter with the airport’s director, the Airports Authority of India, and the fire department in Chennai.
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He discussed how the security hold area at the New Integrated Terminal Building did not follow the fire safety guidelines. Even after the visibility of EXIT signs, the emergency doors are sealed. In fact, there are no replacement exits specified in case of any emergency.
Till now, there have been no updates from the director, fire department, or even the Airports Authorities of India.
Cover Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
First Published: August 08, 2023 5:24 PM