Catastrophic Blaze Grounds Heathrow: A Wake-Up Call for Energy Infrastructure

A fire at a London power sub-station has caused Heathrow Airport to shut down, affecting 290,000 travelers. Energy Minister Ed Miliband describes the incident as catastrophic, noting that even the back-up power was compromised. The National Grid is working to restore power while investigations continue.

A devastating fire at a power sub-station in London led to a complete shutdown of Heathrow Airport, Europe's busiest hub, impacting nearly 290,000 passengers. Energy Minister Ed Miliband called the blaze 'catastrophic' and noted its impact on both primary and back-up power systems.

Despite having emergency mechanisms in place, the extent of the fire also compromised these systems. 'There was a back-up generator, but that was also affected by the fire, which gives a sense of how unusual and unprecedented it was,' Miliband explained to Sky News.

The National Grid is in the process of restoring power using alternative back-up systems. Meanwhile, the government prioritizes understanding the fire's cause to draw lessons for future infrastructure improvements in the UK.

(With inputs from agencies.)