BANGKOK (Reuters) - A domestic airport in Thailand’s northeast was closed on Friday after an electrical short-circuit sparked a fire, the country’s airport authority said.

Khon Kaen airport, an transport hub and a gateway to Thailand’s northeast, serves flights arriving from the capital Bangkok and the city of Chiang Mai in the north - a popular tourist destination.

“How long the airport will be closed for is still being assessed,” a public relations officer at the Department of Civil Aviation told Reuters.

Flights were being diverted to land at Udon Thani airport, the officer said.

Authorities were still assessing whether flights can resume in the afternoon, she added.

Four domestic airlines operate flights to Khon Kaen which sees up to 18 flights per day.

The airlines include Nok Air, Thai AirAsia, Thai Lion Air, and Thai Smile, a subsidiary of Thai Airways.