On July 24, nearly a thousand people were evacuated from a terminal at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport due to a fire that broke out in an escalator, filling the area with smoke.
The incident occurred shortly after 7:00 AM local time in Terminal 8, which serves several airlines including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and Qatar Airways. Local media reported that nine individuals experienced smoke inhalation, and four of them required hospitalization.
According to ABC News, 153 flights were canceled and there were delays affecting 1,514 domestic flights. However, it remains unclear if these cancellations were directly related to the fire. Flight Aware, on the other hand, recorded only 82 delayed flights that day at the same airport, with no cancellations noted.
Operations at the terminal resumed shortly after the incident, and an investigation into the cause of the fire is currently underway. Passengers have been advised to check their flight status with their respective airlines before heading to the airport.
Image and News Source: https://www.infobae.com/america/agencias/2024/07/24/desalojada-terminal-8-del-aeropuerto-jfk-de-nueva-york-tras-incendio-en-escalera-mecanica/