An evacuation of a Heathrow airport terminal about a mysterious chemical incident that left 21 people who needed medical treatment were caused by «mass hysteria.»
A ‘possible incident of hazardous materials’ closed terminal 4 for about three hours shortly after 5 pm on Monday, which forced many people to meet outside with their luggage while ambulances and firefighters equipment rushed to the scene.
Twenty -one people were evaluated by paramedics at the airport, while a person was taken to the hospital, amid fears of a chemical leak.
However, the police confirmed that «no trace of any adverse substance was found» at the airport, while emergency services resisted their response around 8:30 pm
‘About 20 people reported an injury. None were considered to be potentially deadly or that it changed life. The consultations are ongoing, «said a Metropolitan Police spokesman.
The incident was an ‘mass hysteria’ event, without hazardous materials found, a police source told the BBC.
They added that the incident could exist ‘snowball’.
The terminal was declared «safe to reopen» shortly after 8 pm
Emergency equipment could be seen putting protective white suits before entering the terminal
He saw multitudes of people gathering outside terminal 4 while ambulances and firefighters rushed to the scene
A terminal at Heathrow airport has been evacuated as emergency services respond to an ‘incident’
A Heathrow airport spokesman said: ‘Emergency services have confirmed that terminal 4 is safe to reopen and we are doing everything possible to ensure that all flights leave as planned today.
‘We regret the interruption caused, the safety of our passengers and colleagues is our number one priority.
«We encourage passengers to consult with their airline the most recent information about their flight tonight and our colleagues will be available at night to help.»
The London ambulance service said: ‘They called us at 4.50 pm to terminal 4 at Heathrow airport. We send ambulance equipment, our cycle response unit, an incident response officer and our dangerous area response equipment (HART). We treat 21 patients before taking one to the hospital.
Previously, the airport had said that firefighters were responding to a «possible incident of hazardous materials.»
«Specialized equipment has been deployed to carry out an evaluation of the scene, and terminal 4 has been evacuated as a caution while firefighters respond,» they added.
To the evacuees, the airport staff gave them water bottles, while the aluminum blankets were delivered to keep people hot.
Emergency equipment was seen organizing protective white costumes before entering the terminal.
The passengers returned to Heathrow Terminal 4 after it closed for three hours due to an ‘mass hysteria’ event
The terminal was declared ‘safe to reopen’ shortly after 8 pm, with the passengers returning to the terminal
There were multitudes of people gathering outside terminal 4 after a «possible incident of hazardous materials»
A Heathrow staff member told Passenger that the airport terminal will close after an «incident»
Crowds of people waited outside the airport after Heathrow confirmed that there was a «possible incident of hazardous materials.»
The personnel delivered water and warm emergency blankets while the passengers were trapped outside the airport for three hours
Harry Smith, 22, told Telegraph that he was looking for a Qatar Airways flight to Vietnam when the terminal was evacuated.
‘I was escorted out of the Terminal Check-in.
‘We saw people with dangerous costumes and masks.
Other witnesses reported having seen privacy screens that were placed as passengers were evacuated about 150 meters from the terminal.
All other terminals operated as normal while closing terminal 4.
National Rail said trains could not stop at the terminal while emergency services responded to the incident.
Heathrow is the most busy airport in the United Kingdom.
In March, Heathrow Airport closed after a devastating electric fire that caused travel chaos around the world and days of interruption by hundreds of thousands.
He was forced to close after his main electrical substation exploded and ignited less than two miles away in the suburb of western London in Hayes.
The closure affected 270,000 trips and was caused by «a set of unprecedented circumstances,» said Heathrow President Lord Deighton.
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