WATCH: Huge Blaze Closes Airport – Travelers Stranded
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The sudden closure stranded nearly 300,000 travelers, canceled over 1,350 flights, and raised questions about potential terrorism as counter-terrorism police investigate.
Heathrow Airport will remain closed all day Friday, March 21, following a devastating fire at a nearby electrical substation that caused a widespread power outage.
The closure was implemented to ensure the safety of passengers and staff. Airport officials stated they have “no clarity on when power may be reliably restored.”
This sudden shutdown affects approximately 291,000 passengers who were scheduled to travel on 1,351 flights, creating a cascading effect of disruptions across global air travel networks that will likely continue for days.
The fire at the electrical substation was severe enough to require approximately 70 firefighters and 10 engines to bring it under control by 6:30 a.m.
The blaze involved a transformer containing 25,000 liters of cooling oil, evacuating 29 people from nearby properties and 150 others from within a 200-meter perimeter.
While no injuries were reported, the power outage has affected the airport and thousands of nearby homes and businesses, raising serious questions about infrastructure security and resilience.
Most concerning are reports that counter-terrorism police are investigating the incident. Though officials currently claim there is “no indication of foul play,” the Met Police stated they “retain an open mind at this time.”
The timing of the outage—during one of the busiest travel periods—has led many to question whether this was truly an accident or something more sinister that government officials are not yet willing to acknowledge.
A spokesperson for the airport stated:
“Whilst fire crews are responding to the incident, we do not have clarity on when power may be reliably restored. To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, we made the decision to close Heathrow until 23h59 on 21 March 2025.”
The prime minister’s office has demanded answers about how a single fire could completely disable one of the world’s most important airports.
A spokesman from Number 10 stated bluntly that “there are questions to answer” and “we expect those questions to be answered.”
American carriers have been heavily impacted, with United Airlines reporting that seven flights had to return to their origin or divert to alternative airports.
Meanwhile, all Friday flights to Heathrow have been canceled, leaving thousands of U.S. citizens stranded abroad with limited options.
British Airways, which operates over half the flights at Heathrow, has been forced to cancel the majority of its schedule.
This creates a logistical nightmare that will take days to resolve and cost airlines between £20 million and £30 million—costs that will ultimately be passed on to customers.
“We expect significant disruption over the coming days and passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens,” another spokesperson stated.
The International Air Transport Association has called for an urgent review of Heathrow’s infrastructure resilience, highlighting how a single point of failure could cripple such a vital transportation hub.
The National Grid claims power may be restored “in hours.” Still, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband admitted “it was too early to know,” leaving travelers in limbo.
Hotels and pubs near the airport are overflowing with stranded passengers, many of whom have received little information about when they might be able to continue their journeys.
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