Heathrow Terminal 3 Evacuated After Fire Alarm Sounds, Flight Operations Disrupted

London: A sudden fire alarm at London's Heathrow Airport caused a panic-like situation among thousands of travellers, with Terminal 3 being temporarily evacuated. The incident occurred on a busy summer day, with thousands of passengers passing through the airport. The fire alarm prompted an immediate response from airport staff and fire crews, who evacuated some areas of the terminal as a precautionary measure. 

As the alarm sounded, passengers were forced to evacuate the terminal, causing huge queues and disruption to flights. The baggage claim area was shut down, adding to the chaos. Several passengers were left frustrated and confused, with some expressing their anger and disappointment on social media. "Can someone tell us why immigration lines at Heathrow are shut down? Been standing here for an hour with no movement in sight," one passenger fumed.

Heathrow Airport quickly responded to the incident, confirming the evacuation and apologising for any disruption caused. A spokesperson for the airport said, "While the fire service investigates a fire alarm, some areas of Terminal 3 have been temporarily evacuated. Colleagues are working as quickly as possible to resolve this, and we apologise for any disruption this may cause to journeys." The airport's immediate response and communication helped to mitigate the situation, but many passengers were still left feeling frustrated and in the dark about what was happening.

The evacuation and disruption caused delays to flights, with many passengers facing long waits and uncertainty about their travel plans. The airport's capacity to handle thousands of passengers per day was severely tested, and many travellers were left feeling frustrated.

Earlier this month, it emerged that the airport could sue the National Grid after a huge substation fire in March halted flights for 24 hours. The blaze affected 2.7 lakh passengers and cost the airport millions. A probe by the National Energy System Operator found faulty fire safety equipment and moisture in electrical parts flagged in 2018 were not addressed, and maintenance was delayed again in 2022.

The North Hyde substation fire was caused by a failure in a transformer, triggered by moisture entering electrical components. Heathrow's network was not designed to recover quickly. The airport said it was making improvements. Energy watchdog Ofgem has now launched a probe into the National Grid, which could result in fines. The Heathrow administration said, "A combination of outdated regulation, inadequate safety mechanisms and National Grid's failure to maintain infrastructure led to this catastrophic power outage." Energy Secretary Ed Miliband called the findings concerning and promised action to prevent similar incidents.

Travellers shared their experiences of the chaos on social media, with many expressing frustration and disappointment. One passenger wrote, "Border shut down, been waiting here forever. Why is there not a contingency plan for a situation like this? We can’t stay here forever." Another commented, "Fire alarm in baggage claim, which is where we exit from passport control. All sealed off for now."