Chaos erupted at one of Britain's busiest airports this afternoon as Heathrow Terminal 4 was abruptly evacuated amid fears of a hazardous substance on the premises.
Panicked travellers were swiftly ushered out of the terminal building as emergency services, including specialist hazardous materials units, descended on the scene. The evacuation triggered mass confusion among passengers, many of whom reported scenes of near-hysteria as alarms sounded across the departure hall.
Emergency Response in Action
Metropolitan Police confirmed they were called to the terminal at approximately 14:00 GMT following reports of a potential chemical hazard. Footage shared on social media showed crowds of passengers gathered outside the terminal while armed police and firefighters secured the area.
"We were just checking in when suddenly staff started shouting to evacuate immediately," recounted one shaken passenger. "People were running, dropping their luggage - it was absolute chaos. No one knew what was happening."
All-Clear Given After Intensive Search
After a thorough sweep of the terminal by specialist teams, authorities declared the incident a false alarm. Scotland Yard later confirmed that no hazardous substances were found and the terminal was deemed safe for re-entry.
"The reports were taken extremely seriously as per standard protocol," a Heathrow spokesperson stated. "We apologise for the disruption caused but the safety and security of our passengers and staff remains our utmost priority."
Travel Disruption Continues
Despite the all-clear, the incident caused significant travel disruption with numerous flights delayed or diverted. Passengers faced lengthy waits as security procedures were reinstated and operations gradually returned to normal.
Airport officials have advised travellers to check their flight status before heading to the airport and to allow extra time for security processing following the major security incident.
