Following a substantial fire that led to the collapse of a car park, Luton airport has expressed doubt about the salvageability of any vehicles.
The news came to light five days after the blaze occurred at Car Park 2, forcing the airport's closure for 18 hours on October 10-11. This disruption led to the cancellation of 235 flights, impacting around 40,000 passengers.
Chief Fire Officer Andrew Hopkinson has stated that approximately 1,500 vehicles were present in the car park during the incident.
A spokesperson for Luton airport said: “Regrettably, it is unlikely that any vehicles in the car park will be salvageable. However, this is still in the process of being assessed."
“We are working with the Association of British Insurers on behalf of the many insurance companies to establish whether it will be possible to safely retrieve any personal possessions and, if so, how this process may work.”
The day after the fire, a senior fire officer informed The Independent that the intense temperatures during the blaze may have significantly weakened the multi-storey car park, making any attempt to recover vehicles potentially perilous.
Following police and fire investigations, the site has been returned to the airport. Currently, efforts are in progress to evaluate the structural integrity of the car park, and stabilisation work is commencing.
Once the assessment is concluded, likely spanning several days, the feasibility of salvaging vehicles and possessions will be re-evaluated.