Electrical Fire Grounds Heathrow: Flights paralyzed, Power Cut

A fire at an electrical substation led to the shutdown of Heathrow Airport, Europe's busiest travel hub, affecting over 1,350 flights. The incident's impact extends for days, with diverted and canceled flights amid rescheduling chaos. The fire also caused widespread local power outages.

A significant fire at an electrical substation near Heathrow Airport resulted in an unprecedented power outage, leading to the complete closure of Europe's busiest travel hub. This shutdown resulted in the disruption of over 1,350 flights, impacting hundreds of thousands of passengers.

Many flights were diverted to other airports, including Gatwick and international locations like Paris and Ireland, as passengers faced significant travel chaos. The closure's effects are expected to persist for several days with the challenging task of rescheduling affected flights.

Emergency services, including 70 firefighters, responded to the blaze that had consumed the substation, leading to major disruption in local areas with thousands losing electricity. This incident follows a year of notable disruptions for UK air travel, highlighting ongoing challenges in maintaining infrastructure integrity.

(With inputs from agencies.)