Chaos at London Luton airport after inferno: Massive car park fire causes £20m structure to collapse with all flights cancelled until 3pm, up to 1,200 vehicles damaged and several people rushed to hospital

• The inferno was caused by a car fire, London Luton Airport said in a statement 
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A car park collapse at London Luton Airport damaging as many as 1,200 vehicles has caused chaos today, with all flights cancelled until 3pm and several people rushed to hospital following a huge fire.

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service continues to battle the inferno at the airport’s £20m Terminal Car Park 2 this morning, more than nine hours after the multi-storey was engulfed by flames and caved in just before 9pm last night.

A post by the airport last night suggested the fire started in a single car, but did not give further details. 

The shocking blaze has left hundreds of British holidaymakers stranded in Luton this morning, with no way of getting home, as many took to social media to vent their frustration.

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The fire service said up to 1,200 vehicles may have been in the car park at the time of the fire and subsequently damaged, with pictures showing many charred and covered in debris.

For those who had not already made their way to Luton, they are waking up to the prospect of hours of delays too, with no flights before 12pm, and the airport urging passengers to contact their airline for the latest information.

Last night, vehicle alarms and loud explosions were heard as cars were burned through one by one, with a witness describing the speed in which the blaze tore through the newly-built car park’s upper floor as ‘incredible’. 

Five people were rushed to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation following an incident that saw more than 100 firefighters on the scene, aided by 15 rescue pumps and three aerial appliances.

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service continues to battle the inferno at the airport’s Terminal 2 this morning, more than nine hours after the multi-storey was engulfed by flames and caved in just before 9pm last night

As many as 1,200 vehicles were affected by the collapse of the car park at Luton airport last night

Passengers lift their luggage past fire trucks at London’s Luton Airport following the car park collapse

A number of cars have been visibly damaged by the fire, as crews continue to battle it

Firemen stand by their trucks next to a parking lot at London’s Luton Airport following a fire which caused a partial collapse of a parking structure

A witness described the speed in which the blaze tore through the car park’s upper floor as ‘incredible’

A huge fireball was pictured as cars went up in flames, with onlookers saying they heard loud explosions

Pictures show the roof of the structure caving in as flames ripped through cars

An aerial shot shows the extent of the fire which ripped through the car park on Tuesday night

There are fears that the huge inferno could spread to buildings air side, the fire service said as it battles the blaze

The inferno will no doubt cause worry for British holidaymakers who left their vehicles at the airport before jetting off overseas

Cars are visibly damaged as firefighters battle the inferno 

Cars on the top deck of the multi-storey have been left completely burnt out by the huge fire

Vehicle alarms and loud explosions could be heard, with one witness saying the speed in which the blaze tore through the upper floor of the car park was ‘incredible’ 

Holidaymakers’ flights have been suspended until midday on Wednesday due to the huge fire

Cars were engulfed in flames after one reportedly exploded at the short stay

The newly-built car park partially collapsed, Beds Fire and Rescue service confirmed

Firefighters and an airline official were taken to hospital as emergency services battled the blaze, which broke out at Luton Airport just before 9pm on Tuesday.

Five people were admitted to Luton and Dunstable hospitals for smoke inhalation and a sixth person was treated at the scene but did not require further medical treatment.

Russell Taylor, 41, an account director from Kinross in Scotland, saw the flames after flying in to Luton Airport from Edinburgh.

He said: ‘There were a couple of fire engines with a car ablaze on the upper floor of the car park at just after 9pm.

‘A few minutes later most of the upper floor was alight, car alarms were going off with loud explosions from cars going up in flames.

‘The speed in which the fire took hold was incredible.

Crews from Bedfordshire and neighbouring counties have been urgently battling the blaze, they said, ‘to prevent it from spreading to adjacent buildings and vehicles on air side of the airport.’

The short stay building suffered ‘significant structural collapse’ and half of the structure was fully taken over by the fire, the fire service said in an update just after midnight.

Police and ambulance crews also attended the scene and local residents were warned to keep doors and windows closed and avoid the area. 

Footage posted on social media shows fire tearing through cars parked at the airport terminal on Tuesday evening, with smoke billowing over the airport’s runway.

The fire raged into the early hours of Wednesday, with Beds Fire service sharing an update just after midnight on Tuesday stating that they were first alerted by calls at 8.47pm on Tuesday.

Russell Taylor, 41, an account director from Kinross in Scotland, saw the flames over the car park as he flew in to Luton Airport from Edinburgh on Tuesday.

Russell Taylor, 41, an account director from Kinross in Scotland, saw the flames after flying in to Luton Airport from Edinburgh

Smoke has been billowing into the air over the runway, with all flights suspended

Police, firefighters and ambulance crews were on the scene, with five people rushed to hospital 

Travelers were seen being moved from the area as multiple fire engines and emergency response vehicles arrived at the terminal

Passengers wheel their luggage past fire trucks at London’s Luton Airport following a fire

Firemen battle a fire at London’s Luton Airport which caused a partial collapse of a parking structure

Emergency services respond to the blaze as passengers wheel their luggage in the foreground

People leave the London Luton airport as emergency services respond to a fire in the Terminal Car Park 2

Passengers move away from the airport car park after the dramatic fire last night

People take pictures while leaving London Luton airport as emergency services respond to a fire

Passengers look confused after the huge fire broke out in Luton’s Terminal Car Park 2

The extent of the damage can be seen in Luton’s Terminal Car Park 2 following last night’s fire

He said: ‘There were a couple of fire engines with a car ablaze on the upper floor of the car park at just after 9pm.

‘A few minutes later most of the upper floor was alight, car alarms were going off with loud explosions from cars going up in flames.

‘The speed in which the fire took hold was incredible.’

Eyewitness Molly Bullard described ‘scary scenes’ as the short stay was ‘exploding into flames’.

The airport said on X, formerly known as Twitter: ‘All flights are currently suspended as emergency services respond to a fire in Terminal Car Park 2’

Half of the car park was involved in the fire, firefighters said, with much of the structure left wrecked by the blaze

She said on X: ‘There is no transport in or out of Luton Airport. Passengers are being evacuated to walk on the footpath via the road underpass. All airport buses and vehicles are trapped by road blocks.’ 

A spokesman for the airport wrote on X on Tuesday evening: ‘Emergency services are currently responding to a car fire in Terminal Car Park 2, restricting access to the airport.’

They later added just after 1am on Wednesday: ‘Emergency services continue to respond to a significant fire in Terminal Car Park 2, which has now resulted in a partial structural collapse.

‘The safety of our passengers and staff remains our main priority. We have therefore taken the decision to suspend all flights until 12pm on Wednesday 11th October.

‘Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport at this time, as access remains severely restricted.’

They urged passengers with queries regarding parked vehicles or future bookings to get in touch and passengers looking for flight information to speak to their airlines.

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