London (AFP) – Britain’s Heathrow airport, Europe’s busiest, shut down early Friday after a major fire at an electricity substation cut power to the sprawling hub, disrupting hundreds of flights and thousands of travellers.

Airport authorities said they “expect significant disruption” over the coming days, while online flight tracking service FlightRadar24 said at least 1,351 flights to and from the airport would be affected.

“Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage,” the airport operator said in a statement on its website, adding it would be closed until just before midnight Friday (2359 GMT).

“Passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens.”

Some 120 flights heading to Heathrow were in the air when the closure was announced, FlightRadar24 said.

London Fire Brigade said there had been a “significant” fire at a substation in Hayes, a nearby town in the London borough of Hillingdon, which caused the power outage.

It said 10 fire engines and around 70 firefighters were on the scene, while around 150 people had been evacuated from nearby properties.

Images on social media – which could not immediately be verified by AFP – showed huge flames and smoke rising from the substation.

Other videos, apparently shot inside Heathrow’s terminals, showed shuttered shops and deserted corridors, lit only by emergency lighting.

“The fire has caused a power outage affecting a large number of homes and local businesses, and we are working closely with our partners to minimise disruption,” said London Fire Brigade assistant commissioner Pat Goulbourne.

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