The axiom that self-preservation is the first law of nature has again been clinically buttressed. The Oliver Tambo airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, reputed as Africa’s largest airport, was evacuated yesterday. Passengers were forced to wait for two hours to return after South African officials identified a suspect bag said to contain a bomb.
Images of the deserted terminal were posted to social media while other photographs showed crowds of passengers waiting on roadways for the all-clear to return inside.
According to a spokesman for the airport, the international arrivals hall was evacuated a little after 9am after the suspect baggage was spotted and airport users were unable to re-enter the hall until after a quarter past eleven. The official said the move was to ensure the safety of passengers and customers in the airport terminal building.
Expectedly, the incident caused delays to some flights but the airport management apologised to clients, passengers, retail concessionaires and all other stakeholders for the inconvenience. Records show that more than 20 million passengers use the airport every year and 41 airlines serve the facility.
