(Barbados Nation) A suspected gas leak disrupted operations at Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) for three hours yesterday when hundreds of people, including workers, hurriedly evacuated the building.
Police immediately cordoned off the area as a battery of emergency vehicles, including the Fire Service’s emergency crash tender and at least six ambulances, took up position on the compound.
Up to press time authorities had no clue about the cause of the incident.
But eight women complaining of shortness of breath and chest pains were rushed to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital where they were nebulized.
At 8:30 last night two of the eight were still at the hospital but Dr Haresh Thani, the consultant on duty and head of the Accident & Emergency Department figured they too would be discharged during the night.
Some passengers travelling to Britain on Virgin Airlines missed their flight and other passengers experienced delays.
The ordeal started about 3 p.m. when, according to reports, there was a strong smell of gas in the arrival and departure areas.
At 5:55 p.m. when the all-clear was given for people to re-enter the airport, all that was left was a faint smell of the gas.
GAIA?corporate communications specialist Keith Goddard told the DAILY NATION that the odour had mainly affected the departure area, the GAIA offices and some public areas.
However, Goddard said there was no need for a full evacuation.
“The Fire Service indicated no need for an evacuation as the area was not deemed unsafe and security personnel never left their stations. We have an evacuation plan and if there was a need for it, we would have executed it,” he said.
He said a thorough check of the airport was conducted by management, officials of the National Petroleum Corporation, the Barbados Fire Service and the Department of Emergency Management.
Nothing was discovered, but investigations would continue, Goddard said.
