A fire at an electrical substation in London has triggered a power outage, forcing Heathrow Airport to shut down for an entire day.
According to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, at least 1,350 flights will be affected, excluding potential cancellations or delays caused by aircraft being out of position.
In a statement, the airport said, “To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, we have no choice but to close Heathrow for the full day,” warning of “significant disruption over the coming days.” Passengers have been urged not to travel to the airport under any circumstances until operations resume.
Numerous flights have been diverted to other airports, while several— including United Airlines flights from the US—have been cancelled. Some inbound flights from the US were forced to turn back mid-air. Airlines such as Qantas, British Airways, and Virgin Atlantic have also experienced disruptions as carriers scrambled to reposition aircraft and crews.
The outage was caused by a fire at a transformer within an electrical substation in west London. The London Fire Brigade dispatched 10 fire engines and around 70 firefighters to the scene at 10:23 pm CET on Thursday. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
Beyond the airport, the incident has affected over 16,300 homes in the surrounding area, leading to widespread power cuts. Fire crews from Hayes, Heathrow, Hillingdon, Southall, and nearby stations responded to nearly 200 emergency calls related to the event.
Footage shared on social media showed towering flames and thick smoke billowing from the facility. National Grid UK has issued a statement addressing the situation.
via Euronews