Passengers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport were left reeling after foul-smelling brown water burst through a ceiling panel, flooding the terminal and triggering a wave of panic and disgust.
The unexpected leak occurred on Monday afternoon, shocking travellers waiting to board flights. Disturbing footage taken by passenger Jamaal Carlos Jr. shows murky water gushing from the ceiling near Gate T11, sending people scrambling to avoid the spray while some pinched their noses to escape the stench.
“As we’re waiting, we see water just pouring from the ceiling,” Carlos said.
“It had been pouring consistently for maybe 10 to 15 seconds… and it just progressively got worse. The ceiling fell through and it stinks so bad.”
Carlos, who was en route to Dallas on a delayed flight, described the smell as “overwhelming” and said it took five to ten minutes for airport staff to respond and cordon off the affected area. “Even after it poured… I thought they would get buckets or do something, but people were walking through it,” he told 11 Alive.
The incident forced airport authorities to shut down the Lower North Checkpoint and reroute passengers. Despite the chaos and speculation that the brown liquid was sewage, officials have not confirmed its exact nature but stated an investigation is underway.
In a statement, airport spokespersons said:
“The affected area has been contained and remediation crews are actively working to clean and sanitise the space. Customer service representatives are on-site to assist and reroute passengers around the impacted area to ensure minimal disruption. Emergency Medical Services have been deployed as a precaution.”
Officials confirmed to the local media that the leak has not disrupted overall airport operations, but for those nearby, the foul smell lingered.
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