London Luton Airport halts flights following car fire and structural collapse
London Luton Airport has been forced to postpone all aircraft operations until 1400 GMT on Wednesday owing to a vehicle fire incident that resulted in the partial collapse of one of its multi-story car parks.
The situation began late Tuesday evening when the emergency services were notified of a fire on the airport grounds. Fortunately, no fatalities have been recorded as a result of the incident.
Photographs from the incident show the size of the flames spreading through the facility, which was adjacent to the airport terminal.
The airport management stated in a statement that their major concern is the safety of passengers and employees, as well as supporting the operations of emergency services. As a result, the decision has been made to prolong the suspension of all flights until 3 p.m.
on Wednesday, despite the fact that the suspension was supposed to terminate at 1100 GMT.
According to local fire department officials, there might have been up to 1,200 automobiles within the car park at the time of the event. As of 0600 GMT, emergency reaction teams were still on the site, and their presence is expected to last for many hours.
The fire service has classified this as a serious incident, citing the fact that one side of the structure was completely consumed in flames and the building itself suffered a substantial structural collapse.
Officials have stated their intention to undertake a comprehensive investigation to determine the cause of the incident.
Following this event, the ambulance service stated that four firemen and one airport employee had been sent to a hospital for medical assessment. The interruption caused by this event has also impacted aircraft serving London Luton Airport.
