London’s Heathrow Airport has been closed all day after an electrical substation fire caused a massive power outage, throwing global travel into chaos.The fire, which broke out late Thursday in a transformer building in Hayes, about 2 km from Heathrow, led to an explosion at the airport’s main electrical substation. While the fire has been contained, power remains down, and disruptions are expected for days.
Authorities have canceled over 1,350 flights, affecting nearly 200,000 passengers. Many planes en route to Heathrow have been diverted, while other European airports brace for overflow. Rail services to and from the airport are also suspended.Heathrow, one of the world’s busiest airports, had been handling over 200,000 passengers daily. The incident raises concerns about backup power systems, as Heathrow officials work to restore operations.