Rome airport closed after terminal fire

Rome’s main airport was closed on Thursday after a fire broke out in a baggage storage area but there were no serious injuries, officials said.

The airport would remain closed until at least 2pm on Thursday, they said.

The fire broke out shortly after midnight in an underground baggage area of Fiumicino airport’s Terminal 3, which is used for international flights.

Alitalia, Italy's national carrier, said all flights to and from Fiumicino had been cancelled until the re-opening except some inter-continental flight arrivals.

The closure came at one of the busiest times of the day for the airport, when most trans-Atlantic flights are scheduled to arrive and depart.

Pictures posted in the Internet showed thick clouds of smoke emerging from the terminal, which officials said suffered serious damage.