Nine injured, hundreds evacuated in New York’s JFK Airport fire

Multiple people were hospitalised after an escalator fire broke out at York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK Airport) on Wednesday (Jul 23), according to Port Authority officials.

Thick smoke filled Terminal 8 of JFK Airport around 7 am after a fire ignited on an escalator in Concourse C. At least nine people received minor injuries due to smoke inhalation, four of whom were hospitalised, according to New York ABC station WABC. 

However, none of the injuries were considered life-threatening.

Around 960 people were evacuated on buses to another area of the terminal, the officials informed.

Traveler Nate Peckinpaugh said he was about to board a flight from New York to Washington, D.C. when the fire broke out at the terminal.

“It’s shocking that people weren’t taking the alarm seriously. It’s important to always be aware of your surroundings, especially in public places,” Peckinpaugh told ABC News.

“Eventually when a woman started running around asking someone to help,” he added.

American Airlines, which occupies the terminal, said three American Eagle regional departures were cancelled as a result of the fire, out of 89 total American flights scheduled to depart from Kennedy on Wednesday.

Firefighters soon arrived on the scene and began evacuating people from the jet bridge. Some passengers required medical attention and were placed on stretchers.

The operations had resumed in the terminal by about 8:15 am, officials said, and the cause of the fire is now under investigation.

(With inputs from agencies)