Tocumen International Airport. Photo: Markus Mainka / Shutterstock.com Panama's Tocumen International Airport announced that a structural fire at a restaurant in the "Food Court" area has been successfully controlled.
Captain Rogelio Leslie of the airport's Rescue and Fire Fighting Service (SSEI) reported that the fire "occurred a few hours ago in the food court of Terminal 1."
"Thanks to the swift action of the firefighters, the situation was brought under control."
The fire spread very quickly due to cooking grease, resulting in an "important concentration of smoke". During the emergency response, one missing airport employee who "likely got trapped and could not get out because of the smoke or suffered a panic attack" was found and safely evacuated.
The employee was transferred to the clinic for medical care, Leslie added.
Tocumen Airport is Panama’s main global gateway and the largest, busiest aviation hub in Central America, serving as the global headquarters for Copa Airlines. The airport is celebrated as one of the most punctual mid-sized airports in the world and serves more than 80 direct destinations across North America, South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and Europe.