(USNewsBreak.com) – On Tuesday, October 10, one of London’s most popular airports experienced a fire. A blaze broke out in one of the parking garages at Luton Airport. The incident caused massive delays, canceling some flights and postponing others until the following day. Tens of thousands of passengers were affected.
The blaze at Luton Airport’s car park started around 8:45 p.m. on Tuesday evening. More than 100 firefighters in 15 trucks were deployed to help fight the flames, which took hours to put out, but by Wednesday morning, it had been extinguished. In the aftermath, there was a partial collapse of the structure, and more than 1,000 cars were damaged.
The real burden, though, was to the passengers who had flights Tuesday evening through Wednesday. While firefighters worked to contain the fire, Luton Airport officials grounded all 273 scheduled flights. That meant some were delayed while others were diverted to other airports or just outright canceled. Images of passengers sleeping in the airport made the rounds on social media.
Some of the airlines, including Easyjet, said customers who had flights canceled could rebook or opt for a refund. Easyjet also provided hotel rooms and meals to help passengers. Ryanair warned its customers that there would be potential cancelations or delays on all flights to and from Luton Airport.
The investigation into what caused the blaze has been ongoing. However, officers have revealed that the cause is believed to have been a diesel-powered vehicle. According to reports, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service’s chief fire officer, Andrew Hopkinson, said it is “subject to verification” and that the fire “rapidly spread.” This confirms witness accounts that say initially it was a small fire that soon escalated into taking up the entire top floor of the garage.
Hopkinson said he doesn’t believe the blaze was set intentionally, but the structure was missing sprinklers, which could have changed the outcome.
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