Istanbul: A huge fire engulfed the cargo section of Istanbul's Ataturk International Airport on Wednesday, temporarily disrupting air traffic and causing thousands of people to flee, authorities said.
Deputy Governor Fikret Kasapoglu said three people were injured and that authorities suspected a short-circuit may have caused the fire. There was no immediate indication that the fire was terrorism-related.
Black smoke, mixed with flames, billowed some 30 m high into the air, television footage showed. Authorities were trying to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby busy passenger terminals.
The Private NTV television said the blaze began in a section where fuel depots were located.
Planes dropped water onto the flames, and airport authorities said the fire was slowly being tamed.
''The fire is under control and we're taking precautions to prevent it from spreading to passenger terminals,'' said Baris Tozar, the undersecretary of the Transportation Ministry.
''There are no problems concerning flight security,'' Tozar added.
Airport director Irfan Balta said planes had been successfully moved away from the fire.
Private NTV television said some cargo workers may have been trapped inside the two-story cargo building, which is used to store international cargo arriving in Istanbul.
The building was located close to a hangar housing military aircraft.
Private Sky-Turk television reported occasional explosions at the building, and said chemicals may have caused the fire.
Radical Islamic, leftist and Kurdish militants are active in Istanbul and Kurdish militants recently claimed responsibility for a major fire at an Istanbul factory.
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