A large fire in a terminal car park has halted all aircraft at London Luton Airport and prompted a travel advisory.
The Terminal Car Park 2 experienced a "major structural collapse," according to the Bedfordshire Fire Service.
According to the fire department, up to 1,200 vehicles may have been in the parking lot and were subsequently damaged. Four firefighters and one airport employee were transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation.
The airport has suspended flights until 12:00 BST on Wednesday for the safety of passengers and personnel.
Fifteen fire engines responded to the conflagration that destroyed half of the multi-story building. Hundreds of individuals are unable to return home from Luton this morning. Many told the sources that their vehicles were in the car park.
All of the hotels are fully occupied, and a number of passengers allege that their airlines have abandoned them.
Numerous officers are doing their best to direct people away from the site of the incident. Some delayed passengers do not speak English as their native language.
Many are rushing with their luggage to the train station at Luton Airport in order to take a train or coach to other airports to catch flights within the next few hours.
London Luton Airport is the fifth largest airport in the United Kingdom, carrying over 13 million passengers in 2022, behind Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, and Stansted.
The ambulance service reported that a critical incident had been resolved, but that it would remain at the scene to assist fire and rescue colleagues.
Vehicle alarms and loud explosions could be heard, with one witness describing the speed at which the blaze had torn through the higher floor of the car park as "incredible".
A passenger who was on an aircraft that was about to take off when a fire broke out stated, "We were all told to get off the plane because there was an incident, and then we were left in the airport with no explanation."
Two hours later, they were informed that a major incident had occurred and that they had to evacuate the airport.
At 20:47 BST, the fire department received the first report of a fire involving a vehicle on the third floor of the high-rise.
According to the report, firefighting operations were conducted to control the blaze and safeguard adjacent structures, vehicles, aircraft, and the Luton DART [shuttle].
According to the announcement, the firefighting personnel will continue to undertake firefighting operations to help restore travel services to the public as soon as possible.
The fire department advised locals to secure their windows and doors and avoid the area, as police and an ambulance are present.
The airport issued a statement announcing the suspension of all flights while emergency services respond to a vehicle fire in Terminal vehicle Park 2. It stated that individuals refrain from traveling to the airport at this time due to restricted access.
Additional personnel were available to assist passengers and passengers were asked to contact their airline for flight information.
According to the airport's website, the car park that caught fire is a five-minute walk from the terminal entrance.
