One week after hundreds of international passengers were forced to evacuate Nassau International Airport (NIA) due to an unexplained gas leak, officials say they still have not determined the cause.
General Manager of the Airport Authority Idris Reid said recently that the investigations are still ongoing.
ﾓWe still have not determined the direct cause of the fumes, but we know that most of it was internal,ﾒ he said.
Last Wednesday, officials determined that the gas fumes that seeped through the international terminal were not toxic and the odor came from outside of the building.
However, the fumes could only be smelt from inside the building.
According to one eyewitness, a Bahamasair ticket sales agent fainted due to the odor of the fumes.
Hundreds of travelers who were forced out of the terminal had to wait on the grass during the ordeal.
However, due to bad weather, many of the travelers were forced to huddle under the terminalﾴs roof outside the airport.
Frustrated by the long hours of waiting many travelers began to question if this was a usual occurrence in The Bahamas.
Travelers on incoming flights were also delayed for long periods of time.
Mr. Reid said he understood the mood of the passengers.
ﾓMany of them were frustrated and with good reason,ﾒ he said. ﾓBut I think most of them understood that we were only doing what we did for their own safety.ﾒ
Officials of the Royal Bahamas Police Force Bomb unit and firefighters dressed in oxygen suits used large fans to clear the air of the fumes.
After long hours of waiting, passengers of Bahamasair and American Airlines began to board planes from the domestic terminal of the airport. Later in the day, operations at the airport returned to normal.
Although the cause of the gas fumes was still not determined officials said it may have been caused by a gas canister that was used on the premises earlier on Wednesday.
Kendea Jones, The Bahama Journal
