London
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The check-in area at London’s Heathrow Airport was temporarily evacuated on Monday due to a possible hazardous substance incident, but police later said no harmful substances were found at the scene.
“We conducted a thorough search of services and the area. No traces of unfavourable substances were found,” a spokesperson for the Capital Police said in a statement.
“Around 20 people have reported injuries. No one is considered life-threatening or life-changing. An investigation is underway,” the police statement said, adding that experts, London ambulances and firefighters were present at the scene.
A Heathrow spokesman told CNN that emergency services have confirmed the terminal is safe.
“The cause of the incident is under investigation,” the London Fire Service said in a statement.
“The firefighters responded to the possibility of a dangerous material incident at Heathrow Airport,” the statement said. “Special crews were deployed to carry out field assessments and Terminal 4 check-in was evacuated as a precaution while firefighters were conducting operations.”
The London Fire Department said that the incident was called at 5:01pm local time (12:01pm ET) and that crews from at least three fire stations in the surrounding area were sent to the airport.
“Emergency Services has confirmed that Terminal 4 can be reopened and is doing everything they can to ensure all flights as planned today,” a Heathrow spokesman said after the incident was over. “We are extremely sorry that the safety and security of our passengers and colleagues is our number one priority.”
“We encourage passengers to check with the airline for the latest information on tonight’s flights. My colleagues are on hand at the evening,” a Heathrow spokesman added.
Terminal 4 is home to check-in counters such as the Air Force, Bulgarian Airlines, Southern China, Etihad Airways, Korean Airlines, Qatar Airways, Vueling, Westjet and more.
The terminal, located south of the airport’s runway next to the freight terminal, was closed for two years during the coronavirus pandemic and reopened on June 14, 2022. Heathrow said parts of the terminal had been renovated during the closure.
Heathrow is plagued by a recent string of incidents. In March, it was completely closed in March after a fire broke out with current generation several miles away, disrupting local power sources, disrupting more than 1,000 flights, forcing pilots to deflect their air travel.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
