Europe's busiest airport closes after major fire

Britain's Heathrow Airport has been closed for 24 hours after a major fire at an electricity substation caused a power outage at the airport.

London Fire Brigade said there was a significant fire at a substation in Hayes, a town near Heathrow Airport, causing a power outage, according to AFP. Ten fire engines and about 70 firefighters were at the scene, while about 150 people were evacuated from nearby properties.

Images on social media showed large flames and smoke billowing from the substation, according to AFP. Other videos , apparently taken inside Heathrow terminals, showed shuttered shops and deserted corridors lit only by emergency lights.

A fire breaks out at an electrical substation in the area supplying electricity to Heathrow Airport in Hayes, west London (UK), in this image from a video posted on social network X on March 21.

"The fire has caused power outages affecting many local homes and businesses, and we are working closely with our partners to minimise disruption," London Fire Brigade Assistant Chief Constable Pat Goulbourne said. He added that the fire was first reported at 23:23 on March 21 (UK time).

British utility company Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said on its website that the unplanned power outage left more than 16,000 homes in the area without power, according to AFP.

The head of Heathrow Airport, Europe's busiest airport, said significant disruption was expected in the coming days, with hundreds of flights and thousands of passengers affected, according to AFP.

"Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage," the airport operator said in a statement on its website, adding that Heathrow will be closed until just before 22 March (UK time). The operator advised "passengers should not under any circumstances travel to the airport until it reopens."

Online flight tracking site FlightRadar24 estimates that the closure of Heathrow will affect at least 1,351 flights to and from the airport. FlightRadar24 said 120 flights to the airport were in the air when the closure was announced.

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