Luton airport fire caused by SUV fault, say police
Fire on level three of the airport’s Terminal Car Park Two caused long travel delays - PETER CZIBORRA/REUTERSThe fire at Luton Airport that caused a new £20 million car park to partially collapse was caused by a vehicle fault, police believe, after it emerged a man has been arrested.Bedfordshire Police said a man in his 30s was held on suspicion of criminal damage and has been bailed pending further investigation into the blaze.A force spokesman added: “We are carrying out a thorough and diligent investigation into all potential lines of enquiry, as should be expected after such a major event.”The Telegraph understands the man was arrested as a precaution and the police investigation so far indicates the fire started after a vehicle fault involving a diesel SUV.ADVERTISEMENTAdvertisementBedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service has previously stated they believe the fire was accidental as fire chiefs denied speculation an electric vehicle was involved.Hundreds of cars were engulfed by flame
The fire at Luton Airport that caused a new £20 million car park to partially collapse was caused by a vehicle fault, police believe, after it emerged a man has been arrested.
Bedfordshire Police said a man in his 30s was held on suspicion of criminal damage and has been bailed pending further investigation into the blaze.
A force spokesman added: “We are carrying out a thorough and diligent investigation into all potential lines of enquiry, as should be expected after such a major event.”
The Telegraph understands the man was arrested as a precaution and the police investigation so far indicates the fire started after a vehicle fault involving a diesel SUV.
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service has previously stated they believe the fire was accidental as fire chiefs denied speculation an electric vehicle was involved.
Hundreds of cars were engulfed by flames after a huge blaze broke out on level three of the airport’s Terminal Car Park Two on Oct 10.
The incident resulted in the closure of the airport’s runway which saw flights in and out of Luton suspended for nearly 18 hours with more than 140 journeys cancelled.
An estimated 40,000 travellers were affected.
Airport officials have said it is unlikely any vehicles will be “salvageable” after major structural damage was caused by the inferno which raged for 12 hours before firefighters managed to extinguish it.
Fire officers have speculated the car park, which opened in 2019 at a reported cost of £20 million, may have to be demolished because the building had become so unstable.
The airport said it had provided the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) with the registration details of 1,405 vehicles and, along with its parking provider APCOA, it had responded to almost 16,500 customer queries since the fire.
What's Your Reaction?
