London’s Heathrow Airport was closed early Friday and will remain shut through the rest of the day, bringing one of the world’s busiest airports to a halt after it lost power because of a nearby fire.
Heathrow said it would be closed until 11:59 p.m. local time. It was not immediately clear how many flights would be affected.
“We expect significant disruption over the coming days and passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens,” a Heathrow spokesperson said in a statement.
Heathrow handles around 1,300 flights a day, according to its website. Because of restrictions on night flights at the airport, the first departures of the day are scheduled for around 6 a.m.
Dozens of firefighters were trying to put out the blaze at the substation in Hayes, in western London, the London Fire Brigade said in a statement. A large number of businesses and homes had lost power, it said, without providing a number.
Around 150 people were evacuated from the area around the substation, Pat Goulbourne, assistant commissioner at the fire brigade, said in a statement.
Fire crews will be on scene throughout the night, Mr. Goulbourne said, adding, “As we head into the morning, disruption is expected to increase, and we urge people to avoid the area wherever possible.”