Fire at Substation Sparks Chaos at Heathrow Airport

A fire at a substation near London's Heathrow Airport led to power outages and disrupted travel plans for hundreds of thousands. Efforts are underway to restore operations and accommodate passengers. Despite power restoration to some extent, the airport's closure may have prolonged impacts on travel schedules.

A significant fire at an electrical substation near London's Heathrow Airport has caused massive travel disruptions, affecting hundreds of thousands of passengers. The incident, which occurred just before midnight, resulted in power outages that led to the cancellation of all flights through Friday.

Emergency responders, including 70 firefighters and 10 fire engines, worked tirelessly to contain the blaze. By early morning, power had been restored to around 62,000 affected customers, though nearly 5,000 remained in the dark. Officials, while ruling out foul play, are still investigating the exact cause of the fire.

The shutdown, impacting Europe's busiest airport, saw many flights redirected to other international hubs. Experts anticipate that even if Heathrow resumes operations soon, disruptions will ripple through the travel network for days, requiring significant logistical adjustments by airlines and airport authorities.

(With inputs from agencies.)