Fire breaks out at JFK Airport after escalator bursts into flames
The cause of the fire was not immediately known
Your support helps us to tell the story
As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.
Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.
Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election
Andrew Feinberg
White House Correspondent
An escalator at New York’s JFK International Airport caught fire, causing smoke to fill one of the terminals, according to FDNY.
Firefighters arrived around 7 a.m. Wednesday after receiving reports of smoke at the Queens airport, the department said. Terminal 8 was evacuated after the small, which erupted on an escalator in Concourse C.
Photos and videos posted online show crowds of people standing outside the airport, planes stuck on the tarmac, smoke filling the hallways, and emergency vehicles pulling up to the terminal.
Nine people sustained non-life-threatening injuries, eight of whom were taken to the hospital for further evaluation, FDNY said.
Nearly 1,000 people were evacuated from the terminal, NBC New York reported.
It’s not immediately clear what caused the fire, but an investigation is ongoing.
Just before 8 a.m., the airport warned in a post on X: “Flight operations at Terminal 8 have been impacted. Please check with your airline to determine the status of your flight.”
As of 1 p.m., 199 flights at the airport have been delayed, according to FlightAware.
A spokesperson for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey told the Associated Press that terminal operations resumed by 8:15 a.m.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments