Heathrow Halted: Substation Fire Sparks Chaos

A fire at an electrical substation near Heathrow Airport caused a nearly 18-hour shutdown, affecting 200,000 passengers. The incident led to flight cancellations, rerouting, and power outages. Authorities ruled out foul play, and a thorough investigation ensues. The disruption's impact is expected to last several days.

A fire at an electrical substation forced the temporary closure of Heathrow Airport, one of Europe's busiest hubs, causing significant disruptions on Friday. The blaze, which authorities do not suspect was suspicious, resulted in widespread flight cancellations, affecting over 200,000 passengers and multiple flights.

The fire at the substation, located approximately 3.2 kilometers from the airport, halted operations for nearly 18 hours and impacted 67,000 local residents' power. The blaze was controlled after seven hours, with efforts continuing to mitigate its prolonged effects on travelers and airlines.

Heathrow authorities emphasized the unprecedented nature of the event and highlighted shortcomings in national infrastructure preparedness. Investigations are in progress as flights resume and efforts to address the disruption continue.

(With inputs from agencies.)