An electrical engineer's mistake may have caused the devastating fire that paralysed Heathrow Airport, according to sources close to the investigation.
The blaze, which broke out at an electrical substation in Hayes on Thursday night, led to a major power outage that brought Britain’s busiest airport to a standstill.
A source told POLITICO’s London Playbook the fire may have been the result of human error, adding: “It’s always cock-up rather than conspiracy.”
Around 1,300 flights arrive or depart from Heathrow each day, with thousands of travellers affected by the shutdown.
The drama began when flames tore through a substation on Nestles Avenue, less than five kilometres from the airport. Some 70 firefighters and 10 fire engines tackled the blaze, which was brought under control by Friday morning.
About 150 people were evacuated from the area and a 200-metre cordon was set up, with residents advised to keep doors and windows closed due to the smoke.
Flights began landing at Heathrow on Saturday as the airport works to return to normal operations following its closure.
According to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, British Airways flight BA56 from Johannesburg was the first regular passenger service to land at Heathrow since the shutdown, touching down at 4.37am on Saturday.
British Airways, which operates a major hub at Heathrow, announced it expects to run approximately 85 per cent of its scheduled flights from the airport on Saturday as services gradually return to normal.
The Metropolitan Police initially reported “no indication of foul play” but said they are keeping “an open mind.” Counter-terrorism officers are now leading the investigation as the site is considered “critical national infrastructure.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesperson said: “There are questions to answer on how this has happened and what can be done to prevent the scale of disruption we’ve seen from happening again.”
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has held urgent talks with National Grid officials.
