King Shaka reassures travellers after fire alarm activated two days in a row

Fire alarms startled travellers at Durban's King Shaka International Airport on Monday and Tuesday. 

Many were in the dark as they boarded their flights late after an airport announcement instructed them to evacuate. Minutes later they were told to go back into the building. 

On Tuesday, the airport said the fire alarm was not part of any planned drill or fire.

“It was due to a double activation of smoke sensors in an unoccupied and locked area within the terminal building. The activation was in line with the system design for detection of fire in the specific zone. The design is in line with the fire protection design protocols,” a spokesperson said. 

The airport is upgrading its fire detection system as it's approaching the end of its expected operating lifespan.

“The process to appoint a service provider to install a new system is well under way, after the initial tender came back non-responsive. We would like to express our sincere apologies to all our passengers and visitors for the inconvenience and unnecessary concern this might have given rise to.

“In the meantime, we urge our passengers to continue to observe all emergency protocols while visiting our facilities.” 

TimesLIVE