Burnt out motors still stranded at Luton airport car park months after huge fire
Charred vehicles are still sitting abandoned inside Luton Airport’s burnt-out car park, six months on from an inferno that caused millions of pounds of damage.
The newly built £20 million building went up in flames in October last year after a diesel Range Rover suffered a fault.
Some 1,300 vehicles were affected by the ferocious blaze, which caused part of the multi-storey to collapse.
Several cars were completely destroyed, while others were left untouched but trapped in the building, including an £80,000 Porsche seen teetering over the edge of the building.
According to the Mirror, insurance payouts to affected vehicle owners have soared to more than £10 million.
New photos show demolition works to take down the car park are underway, but several of the cars remain.
The fire broke out at around 9pm on Tuesday, October 10, and quickly spread across multiple floors, tearing through the vehicles parked there.
More than 100 firefighters from more than 15 crews attended and all flights in and out of the airport were suspended that night.
Four firefighters and a member of airport staff were taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation, while another firefighter was treated at the scene.
It’s believed the flames were burning at a temperature well over 600°C (1,110°F).
A Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said at the time: ‘One half of the structure is fully involved in fire and the building has suffered a significant structural collapse.
‘Fire crews are working to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading to adjacent buildings and vehicles on air side of the airport.’
At 8.45am the following day the service confirmed the fire had been extinguished.
It later said the disaster was caused by a diesel car and an investigation found that ‘all evidence’ pointed towards the most probable cause being either an electrical fault or a component failure in the engine bay while the vehicle was moving.
Earlier this month Luton Airport said more than 60% of the affected car park had been dismantled and 75% of the 1,300 vehicles affected have been ‘removed by salvage experts on behalf of insurers’.
It said clearance of the structure was on track and due to be completed next month, with the rebuild set to start later this year.
The new car park will accommodate 1,940 vehicles and feature a ground level drop-off and collection zone.
The airport said that as well as ‘meeting all current fire and safety regulatory requirements’, the new car park, due to be finished in late 2025, ‘will incorporate a fire suppressant system’.
Alberto Martin, Luton Airport’s CEO, said: ‘The dismantling of the car park has been a precise and painstaking process, and its proximity to passengers, buildings, aircraft and the Luton DART railway station has added to the project’s complexity.
‘At the same time, we are working hard to deliver a number of passenger enhancements, including a second premium passenger lounge, several new restaurants and a spectacular mezzanine bar and diner.’
He said the airport was also on track to complete a £20 million refurbishment of the security hall this summer, featuring ‘state-of-the art scanner technology’ to speed up security processing times.
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