40 Flights At Terminal 2 Of Singapore's Changi Airport Affected By Small Fire

SINGAPORE, May 17 (Bernama) -- Forty flights at Terminal 2 of Singapore's Changi Airport have been affected Tuesday following a small fire in a room holding air conditioning equipment, says Changi Airport. In a statement issued late Tuesday night, Changi Airport said it will work with the authorities to investigate the incident. The fire alarm was triggered at 5.40 pm on Tuesday and evacuation of the terminal was subsequently activated. In an effort to ensure the safety of all passengers and visitors, Terminal 2 was closed and all departing and arriving flights were moved to Terminal 3. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) however gave the all clear for Terminal 2 at about 10.00 pm the same day. As a result, flight operations at Terminal 2 have resumed progressively with a number of arrival flights using the terminal. For passengers who are departing or arriving on Wednesday, the airport management advised them to check its website, app or social media channels for the latest information. Based on information available to Changi Airport, two persons in the terminal were sent to hospital for observation after approaching Changi staff for medical assistance. Another four were brought to the Terminal 3 clinic. Changi Airport Group apologised for the inconvenience caused. On the same development, the immigration clearance system at Singapore land checkpoints has returned to normal on Wednesday morning, according to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA). “Traffic is expected to be heavy during the morning peak hours,” it said in its latest travel advisory posted on its Facebook on Wednesday. The immigration clearance system at Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints has been experiencing intermittent slowness since 5.40pm on Tuesday. The immigration clearance system is progressively resuming normalcy after almost four hours. In its earlier update, ICA said it has deployed all available resources to manage the situation. Travellers are advised to postpone non-essential travels, it said. At press time, a check on checkpoint.sg, live traffic cameras at Singapore land checkpoints, shows that a traveller would need 25 to 40 minutes to enter Singapore via Woodlands and 20 to 35 minutes via Tuas. When exiting, a traveller would need 55 to 90 minutes via Woodlands and 15 to 25 minutes via Tuas. The ICA also advised motorists to check the Land Transport Authority's One Motoring website for updates on the traffic situation before embarking on their journey. “We seek travellers' understanding and patience. We apologise for the inconvenience caused to all affected travellers,” it said. -- BERNAMA