Huge blast at Gatwick Airport as automotive erupts into ball of flames and other people scream
A car burst into a ball of fire at Gatwick Airport earlier today – after smoke started bellowing out of the vehicle, an eyewitness said he saw a driver get out, before the car exploded
A car exploded into a fireball outside Gatwick airport earlier today. Plumes of smoke were coming out of the dark-coloured Volkswagen as it sat stationary near the airport exit barriers. All of a sudden there was a huge bang and it went up in flames. It was quickly completely ablaze.
The incident happened after it pulled up to the exit barriers of car park 6 at Gatwick. Footage and pictures of the car show that no one was inside when the fire started. An eyewitness said a person “climbed out of the car” when it started smoking.
A hero driver in a nearby AA van leapt into action and ran over to the raging inferno with a fire extinguisher to try to put it out.
Firefighters arrived on the scene with two engines from the West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service (WSFRS). The fire was put out, leaving the vehicle burned to a cinder and a total wreck.
A WSFRS spokesperson said: “We are still urging residents living nearby to avoid the area near to the north terminal car park to ensure safety of the public, staff and other airport users.”
One eyewitness said the explosion was “traumatic”.
He said: “It was quite traumatic as it was a full on blaze. People were screaming as the tyres were blowing out — and it sounded like explosions or gunshots. I saw the whole thing.
“The vehicle pulled up to the barriers and then it started smoking. A man in an AA van got out with a fire extinguisher but he couldn’t put out the smoke.
“The smoke turned into flames and then the car erupted into a full blazing inferno.
“The pillar next to the car even started catching fire and burning.”
The man, who was on a seven-hour layover and had gone outside to get some fresh air, said he believes the driver fortunately escaped the fire.
He said: “A person seemed to climb out of the car when it started smoking — but I couldn’t really see. I don’t know how many people there were.”
Another eyewitness, Simon Doce, told Sussex News he could “smell the fire as soon as they walked out”.
He said: “Then, as we walked further round, we saw the vehicle fully on fire.”
A London Gatwick spokesperson said: “The airport Fire Service responded to a vehicle fire outside a North Terminal car park this afternoon.
“The fire has now been resolved.
“Car access to the North Terminal was temporarily suspended while we dealt with the incident, but have since reopened.”
No injuries in connection with the fire were reported.
It is still unclear what caused the fire.
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