Passenger terminal at London Heathrow evacuated due to "hazardous materials"

Arabian Sea Newspaper - Agencies:

Arabian Gulf – Agencies: Heathrow International Airport in the British capital, London, announced on Monday evening the closure of Terminal 4 and its complete evacuation, following a report of a potential incident involving the presence of "hazardous materials," while emergency teams began dealing with the situation. An airport spokesman said in a statement: "Terminal 4 has been closed and evacuated while emergency services respond to the incident. We ask passengers not to travel to the terminal, and we confirm that all other terminals are operating normally." The London Fire Brigade explained that it received a report at 16:01 GMT, and that it dispatched specialized teams to assess the situation, adding that the evacuation was carried out "as a precautionary measure" to protect passengers and staff. Images circulating on social media showed ambulances and fire trucks outside the building, along with dozens of passengers who were evacuated from the terminal. The National Rail Authority also announced the suspension of train stops at Terminal 4 station at the airport, due to the continued work of emergency teams. The airport administration confirmed via the "X" platform that it continues to provide support to affected passengers, noting that flights in the remaining terminals were not affected, and that any updates will be announced as soon as they are available. Heathrow Airport is one of the busiest airports in Europe in terms of passenger traffic, which gives any emergency there great importance in terms of its impact on international travel.