A DESPAIRING couple were left stranded after their £48,000 Mercedes was destroyed in the Luton Airport car park fire.
Liz and Gary Blackmore returned from a five-day trip to Portgual last night expecting to pick up their Mercedes-AMG CLA Shooting Brake.
InstagramGary and Liz Blackmore returned from a five-day holiday to find their car had been destroyed[/caption]
AFPShocking pictures show the fire taking hold of the car park[/caption]
PAThe burned out remains of vehicles in the multi-storey car park[/caption]
press photo, do not use for advertising purposesA Mercedes-AMG CLA Shooting Brake (stock image)[/caption]
But their car, parked on the top floor of the the Terminal Car Park 2, was caught in fireball that has destroyed 1,500 vehicles.
Four firefighters and a member of airport staff were taken to hospital suffering smoke inhalation and another firefighter was treated at the scene after the devastating fire erupted last night.
Mrs Blackmore told of her horror as their car, purchased only a year ago, was destroyed.
She told MailOnline: “We’re devastated. The car was less than a year old and my daughter has taken the other car so now we’re left with no car. We’re horrified.”
The pair had been flying back to Luton Airport when their captain told passengers the flight was having to divert to Gatwick due to the blaze.
They were left spending the night trying to get back to their home in Loughborough, Leicestershire, and are unsure if they will receive any compensation from their insurer.
The couple added: “It was confusing because we’re on our own – there was no help from anybody. We landed at nearly midnight and we had no assistance.”
Thousands of passengers have been impacted with flights at the airport cancelled since the fire broke out at around 9pm. They were expected to resume at around 3pm today.
Chloe Roberts parked her Ford Fiesta in the multi-storey before going on holiday to Iceland with her husband.
They are due to land back in the UK on Friday and live over 100 miles away from Luton Airport.
The business owner, 26, told the Sun: “I feel frustrated and upset. The worst thing is the fact that we don’t know what’s going on with our car.
“We don’t know if it has been destroyed or not. Both of us are stressing out a bit.
“We came to Iceland to have a relaxing holiday and have been up half the night panicking about the car.”
Passengers already on board planes last night were forced to disembark as more than 100 firefighters, three specialist aerial appliances and 15 fire engines were called to the scene.
In a statement, the airport said: “Emergency services remain on the scene following last night’s fire in Terminal Car Park 2.
“Our priority remains supporting the emergency services and the safety of our passengers and staff.
“Therefore, we have now taken the decision to suspend all flights until 3pm on Wednesday.”
Andrew Hopkinson, chief fire officer for Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said the fire started in a vehicle with a diesel engine that had just arrived at the car park.
The couple were left stranded at Gatwick AirportInstagram
PAHelpless passengers watch on as the fire takes hold[/caption]
PAThe aftermath of the huge fire last night[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
