Oct 11, London: London’s Luton Airport has suspended all flights and asked passengers not to travel there after a “significant fire” in a car park caused the structure to partially collapse.
The Terminal Car Park 2 suffered “a significant structural collapse”, Bedfordshire Fire Service says.
In a statement, the airport said: “We have therefore taken the decision to suspend all flights until 12pm on Wednesday 11th October. One half of the structure is fully involved in fire and the building has suffered a significant structural collapse.”
The fire broke out in the airport’s Terminal Car Park 2, Emergency services attended the scene and brought the fire under control in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Four firefighters and one airport staff member were taken to hospital with injuries, but none are believed to be serious.
A really big fire damaged about 1,200 cars in a parking lot. Many people in Luton couldn’t go home because their cars were stuck there. Hotels were full, and some said airlines didn’t help them. The police were helping people, even those who didn’t speak English well.
People with luggage rushed to Luton Airport’s train station to catch a train or bus to other airports for their flights. London Luton Airport is the UK’s fifth biggest, with over 13 million passengers last year.
The ambulance service said they didn’t need to be on high alert anymore, but they would still help the fire and rescue teams. Videos online show a big fire with lots of smoke on the top floor of the building.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The airport said in a statement: “All flights are currently suspended as emergency services respond to a car fire that has spread in Terminal Car Park 2.
“Access to the airport is currently restricted and we ask that people do not travel to the airport at this time. Further updates to follow.”
Passengers who are due to fly from Luton Airport on Wednesday 11th October are advised to contact their airline for the latest information.
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