London’s Heathrow Airport closed as fire engulfs electrical substation
London’s Heathrow Airport, one of the world’s busiest travel hubs, has been forced to close on Friday following a large fire at a nearby electrical substation that caused a significant power outage.
“Due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage,” the airport announced on X. “To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 23h59 on 21 March.”
Passengers have been urged to avoid the airport and contact their airlines for further updates.
The London Fire Brigade reported that a transformer inside the substation in Hayes, West London, caught fire, prompting an emergency response at 11:23 p.m. Thursday. By 4:08 a.m. Friday, half of the transformer was still burning. Around 70 firefighters and ten fire engines are working to extinguish the flames.
Videos circulating on social media show flames and thick smoke billowing into the night sky.
Approximately 150 people have been evacuated, and authorities have established a 200-meter safety cordon.
Firefighters have already rescued 29 people from nearby buildings, while emergency control officers have handled over 200 distress calls.
