Monarch aircraft on the tarmac at Luton airport, in the south of England, October 2, 2017 (AFP/Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS)
London’s Luton Airport suspended all flights until midday on Wednesday due to a major fire which caused the partial collapse of one of its car parks and left several people injured, he announced. .
“The safety of our passengers and staff remains our main priority. We have therefore taken the decision to suspend all flights until Wednesday October 11 at 12 p.m.”, i.e. 11:00 GMT, the airport said on its website. .
Luton, located about forty kilometers north of central London and served by several low-cost airlines, has advised passengers not to go there “as access remains very limited”.
The fire broke out around 9:00 p.m. local time in a recently built parking lot. Images broadcast by British media show a multi-story building on fire near a terminal. Witnesses on social media reported explosions.
Local ambulance services clarified on X (formerly Twitter) that five people – four firefighters and an airport employee – had been admitted to hospital.
Another injured person was treated on site, said the same source.
Firefighters said they were working on the site to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading to other buildings.
“The structure of the building suffered a significant collapse,” Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said on X.
Passengers quoted in British media said their flight was canceled after they had already boarded.
Russell Taylor, 41, who was able to land from Edinburgh in Scotland, explained to the British agency Press Association (PA) that the disaster then developed at an “incredible” speed.
“There were a few fire engines with a car on fire on the upper level of the parking lot just after 9 p.m.,” he described.
“A few minutes later, the entire floor was burning with alarms going off and loud explosions coming from the burning cars.”
Luton Airport saw 13 million passengers pass through in 2022. It is served in particular by the companies easyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air.
© 2023 AFP
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