Heathrow Airport closure hearth ‘investigated by counter terrorism police’ after big blaze
The blaze grounded over a thousand flights and cast nearly 300,000 passengers into travel chaos as their flights out of Heathrow were cancelled and planes were diverted to other airports in Britain and Europe
The Heathrow Airport fire that has engulfed the UK in travel chaos is being investigated by counter terrorism police. Detectives were deployed to the scene of the blaze at an electrical substation in Hayes, west London to probe if if sabotage played a role in the fire.
Power at Europe’s busiest airport was knocked off by the fire and resulted in all flights in and out of the hub to be cancelled until midnight. Hundreds of residents nearby were also evacuated as firefighters battled to contain the blaze which is now under control.
Counter terrorist detectives were deployed as part of a precautionary measure rather than an indication that foul play was involved, the Times reported. A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said “The Brigade’s fire investigators are working closely with the Metropolitan Police Service on the investigation into the cause of the fire.”
Should sabotage be ruled out, there will still be major security questions about how a major piece of infrastructure could be completely taken down by a single fire. Dr Alan Mendoza, of the Henry Jackson society think tank, said: “Today’s situation at Heathrow shows Britain’s creaking critical national infrastructure problem.
“Fires happen. But they shouldn’t be capable of taking out an entire airport as it suggests backup systems are inadequate. A full national audit is required to prevent recurrences.”
A LFB spokesperson said around 11am this morning that “10 per cent” of the fire was still ongoing. “Disruption is expected to continue,” an LFB spokesperson told a press conference near the site of the fire.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband told BBC Breakfast: “The grid has never seen an event quite like this. We will want to understand both the causes of this event and what lessons, if any, it can teach us.” He stressed that the priority right now is to put the fire out and restore power to stop the “terrible disruption” to passengers.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander wrote on X: “I’m receiving updates on the fast-moving situation at Heathrow Airport.
“I’m grateful to emergency services responding to the fire and National Grid for working to restore power to the airport and homes. I’d urge passengers not to travel to the airport and contact their airline.”
The fire has also caused local trains to be delayed or cancelled. The Heathrow Express, which connects the airport with Paddington station, says there are no services in either direction today, and is advising people not to try and travel to the airport.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.
