Passengers travelling to Heathrow Airport were hit by major disruption this morning after a car fire broke out inside a tunnel near the M4, forcing road closures and causing widespread delays.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday morning, with emergency services rushing to the scene after the vehicle caught fire inside the east ramp tunnel near the airport. Two fire engines were deployed, and the car was found fully alight, suffering extensive damage.
The London Fire Brigade confirmed they were called just before 3am, and crews were able to extinguish the fire by 3:45am. Firefighters left the scene shortly after 4:30am. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported, and London Ambulance Service also attended as a precaution.
A spokesperson for London Fire Brigade said:
“We were called just before 3am today to reports of a car fire in a tunnel near Heathrow Airport. Firefighters attended and discovered a car fully alight. The fire was safely extinguished, and no one was reported to be injured.”
M4 Tunnel Closed and Traffic Chaos Ensues
The blaze prompted National Highways to shut down the M4 southbound, between Junctions 4 and 4A, leading to heavy congestion and traffic diversions. Motorists were advised to use alternative routes, including M25 Junction 14 or M4 Junction 3, to access Heathrow Airport.
A map shared by Metro showed the area affected by the incident, with westbound traffic also building up due to the closure and diversions.
The vehicle involved was diesel-powered, and the fire was located within the east ramp tunnel. Although the tunnel has since reopened, significant delays remain.
Airport Confirms Disruption to Terminals 2 and 3
A Heathrow Airport spokesperson confirmed that the fire had impacted road access to Terminals 2 and 3, stating:
“An earlier vehicle fire affecting road access to Terminals 2 and 3 has now been resolved. All roads have now reopened, but there continues to be some congestion around the airport. We apologise for the disruption caused this morning.”
Passengers were earlier advised to allow extra travel time and consider using public transport where possible.
Rail Disruption Also Reported
Separately, National Rail reported disruption between Paddington and Heathrow Terminal 4 due to a trackside fire, but services have since resumed normal operation.
Ongoing Congestion
Despite the fire being extinguished and the roads reopened, residual delays continue, with heavy traffic on surrounding routes and a build-up of congestion throughout the morning commute.
Travellers are still being urged to check travel updates regularly and allow extra time when heading to the airport.
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