Massive Fire Near London's Heathrow Airport Shuts Down Operations
Heathrow Airport Massive Fire Shuts Down British Travel Hub ... Thousands of Travelers Left Scrambling
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A large fire erupted near London's Heathrow Airport on Thursday, causing a massive power outage and shutting down one of Europe's busiest travel hubs for at least 24 hours, according to authorities.
Dramatic video posted online shows the thick flames raging inside an electrical substation close to the airport with smoke billowing into the sky.
The London Fire Brigade said the inferno broke out overnight at the substation and it took 70 firefighters to bring it under control. Nearly 5,000 homes are still without power and 150 area residents were evacuated as a precautionary measure.
Officials said 1,300 flights were affected and an estimated 145,000 passengers were also impacted. Officials cautioned travelers to expect more disruptions over the next several days.
The United Kingdom's energy minister said the cause of the blaze is under investigation, but no foul play is suspected. Nobody has been reported injured or killed.
Meanwhile, CNN said hundreds of planes bound for Heathrow from around the world were diverted midflight, mainly from Asia and the Pacific.
On Friday, FlightRadar24 -- a flight-tracking website -- reported that 120 flights had to divert to somewhere else or go back to their place of origin in cities such as Sydney, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore and New York.
