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Heathrow Airport in the UK closes Heathrow Airport for a day following a fire at a substation

Heathrow Airport in Britain announced on Friday that it would be closed until after midnight due to an extensive power outage caused by a fire near the electrical substation which supplies the airport.

Heathrow Airport posted a message on X saying that the airport would be closed on the 21st March until 23h59. Passengers are advised to avoid the airport.

A Heathrow spokesperson said in an email that fire crews were responding to the incident, but it was unclear when power would be restored. They also predicted significant disruptions over the next few days.

Eurocontrol, the company that manages air traffic operations in Europe, announced on its website that due to a power outage, no flights were allowed to arrive at Heathrow. There were also diversion plans for flights.

FlightRadar24 reports that dozens of flights have already been diverted to other airports. Qantas Airways sent its flight from Perth, Australia to Paris, and United Airlines New York flew to Shannon, Ireland.

United Airlines Flight from San Francisco to Land in Washington, D.C. instead of London

Some U.S. flights were returning to their departure point after turning around in mid-flight.

According to OAG, the travel data company, Heathrow will be the second busiest airport in the world after Dubai by 2024.

London Fire Brigade reported that its crews were battling the fire in Hayes, west London. They had evacuated approximately 150 people out of precaution.

Pat Goulbourne, Assistant Commissioner of the London Fire Brigade, said: "The fire caused a major power outage that affected many homes and businesses in the area. We are working with our partners closely to minimize disruption."

"Firefighters led 29 people from nearby properties to safety. As a precaution, around 150 people were evacuated." Reporting by Angela Christy and Jamie Freed in Bengaluru; Editing by Christopher Cushing, Raju Gopalakrishnan

(source: Reuters)