A fire broke out at Tokyo's main international airport on Wednesday, forcing the closure of the departure lobby for two airliners -- Northwest Airlines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
There were no reports of injuries from the fire, which was extinguished at 1:39 p.m. (0439 GMT), said Masaru Kato, a spokesman for the Narita Airport Authority.
Kato said there was no effect on flight schedules Wednesday at Narita, which daily handles about 360 takeoffs and landings, mostly international flights.
Narita is 65 kilometers (40 miles), northeast of Tokyo.
Police were still investigating the cause of the blaze, Kato said.
The fire and smoke started at 12:19 p.m. (0319 GMT) from under a moving walkway leading to the departure area for Northwest and KLM in the airport's No. 1 terminal, Kato said.
There were no flights scheduled around the time of the blaze, Kato said. The few people who were in the third floor Northwest Airlines lobby and in offices and shops nearby were evacuated, airport officials said.
KLM's only scheduled flight Wednesday had departed before the fire started.
Television news footage showed white smoke filling a narrow hallway at the airport. Some people covered their mouths with handkerchiefs.
There was no sound of an explosion, or any indication of arson, a Narita police official said on condition of anonymity.
Fire Department official Masahiro Hirayama said that a mechanical problem in the walkway may have caused the fire.
Public television broadcaster NHK reported that Northwest passengers would be shuttled to planes by bus.
(China Daily December 27, 2001)
