Journey chaos at Gatwick airport after passengers are evacuated from North Terminal ‘attributable to fireplace alarm going off’ – with dozens of flights delayed
Journey chaos at Gatwick airport after passengers are evacuated from North Terminal ‘attributable to fireplace alarm going off’ – with dozens of flights delayed
1000’s of passengers had been evacuated from London Gatwick Airport right this moment after a fireplace alarm, as they complained of an ‘absolute shambles’ and ‘no data’.
These contained in the North Terminal of the West Sussex airport had been ordered to depart at about 11am earlier than being compelled to face outdoors whereas they waited for updates.
Travellers instructed of ‘individuals simply standing about’ and ‘no signal of any workers’, earlier than clapping and cheering after they had been allowed again in about 20 minutes later.
Gatwick apologised ‘for any inconvenience’ and MailOnline understands some flights had been held to make sure no passengers missed boarding because of the alarm.
Flight monitoring web site FlightRadar24 confirmed there have been dozens of delayed flights at Gatwick right this moment, though it isn’t clear if all of these had been linked to the fireplace alarm.
Amongst these documenting the evacuation was Michael Hincks, a sports activities journalist for the i newspaper, who posted movies on X. Within the first at 10.58am, he mentioned: ‘By no means too previous for an airport first. Complete of Gatwick North Terminal evacuated after a fireplace alarm.’
He added at 11.06am: ‘Folks cheered and clapped the fireplace alarm ending. Let the scramble again in start?’ Mr Hincks then mentioned at 11.19am: ‘Again into Gatwick North Terminal we go, previous a fireplace engine. Which I suppose is reassuring?’
One other social media consumer mentioned: ‘Evacuated from Gatwick North simply as my breakfast was going to reach. Absolute shambles right here, no data, individuals simply standing about, no signal of any workers. FFS.’
A 3rd posted on-line: ‘Hearth alarm has been going off for 20 minutes. No course on the place to go. No announcement as to what’s occurring. Nonetheless standing in view of the departure lounge, the place the alarm was triggered. Utter shame.’
And one other mentioned: ‘Gatwick – what’s going on? No bulletins on this aspect, we’re all simply strolling contained in the constructing. No security workers to information travellers on this aspect.’
A London Gatwick spokeswoman instructed MailOnline: ‘London Gatwick’s North Terminal departure lounge was evacuated for a short while this morning attributable to a fireplace alarm being activated.
‘As all the time, security and safety are our primary precedence. We apologise to passengers for any inconvenience.’
