Gatwick Airport chaos sees ‘passengers evacuated’ as hearth alarm sparks panic

Passengers at Gatwick Airport have been left in chaos after a sudden evacuation this morning (March 29).

One person on X said: “Airside at Gatwick airport and we’ve had to evacuate.” Speaking to the Mirror, a London Gatwick spokesperson said: “The North Terminal was evacuated this morning following a fire alarm activation. The terminal is now back open and evacuated passengers have been processed back through security as quickly as possible.

On social media, people claimed that a fire alarm had sounded and people were asked to leave the departure lounge area. One person claimed the incident was sparked by a passenger who “opened an emergency door exit to vape”, although this has been denied by a spokesperson for the airport.

The evacuation was confirmed to be over around 8.30am, with passengers having now returned to the terminal. Flights are expected to continue as normal for the rest of the day.

Back in November last year, hundreds of passengers were evacuated and Gatwick Airport put under lockdown after the alarm was raised over a “suspicious package”. The incident was attended by armed police and a bomb squad.

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