London Airport Transformer Fire: Rescue Flights Initiated for Passengers
An electrical transformer fire broke out at Heathrow Airport in the capital of London.
As the airport plunged into darkness, all flights were canceled for the day.
Authorities stated that following a fire in an electrical transformer center that caused a “significant power outage,” the airport was closed until midnight tonight.
The electric company National Grid announced that they have restored power to 62,000 homes after the fire at the North Hyde transformer center. 4,900 homes are still without electricity and repair works will continue overnight.
Ryanair Airlines announced the initiation of 8 rescue flights for passengers affected by the airport closure.
A statement later from the Fire Department reported that the fire that led to Heathrow’s closure was under control.
REDIRECTED TO SURROUNDING CITIES
An announcement advised all passengers not to travel to the airport, stating, “To ensure the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will remain closed until 23.59 on March 21.” The closure of Heathrow Airport occurred after a fire in an electrical transformer center west of London left many homes without power. Eurocontrol, the agency responsible for monitoring air traffic across Europe, announced that aircraft bound for Heathrow were being redirected to surrounding cities. Heathrow is the world’s second busiest airport after Dubai.
