AKIPRESS.COM - Rome's main Fiumicino 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 2 p.m. (1200 GMT), they said, noting that many flights would be cancelled or delayed, reports Reuters-UK.

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.

Passengers who had arrived for early morning flights were not allowed inside any of the terminals. The main highway linking the airport to Rome was closed to allow emergency vehicles to pass and train service from the city centre was suspended.

The fire broke out shortly after midnight (2200 GMT) in an underground baggage area of Terminal 3, which is used for international flights.

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

At least three people suffered smoke inhalation, a fire brigade official said, adding that injuries could have been much more numerous had the fire broken out during the day when the terminal is crowded.

He said the fire was under control and that its cause was still unknown.