Chaos at Gatwick! Holidaymakers were forced to evacuate the South Terminal departures on Sunday morning after a fire alarm sent shockwaves through one of the UK’s busiest airports.
Fire Alarm Triggers Panic at Gatwick
At around 10:30am on June 1, the fire alarm blared through Gatwick Airport’s South Terminal, prompting a swift evacuation. Videos flooded social media, showing passengers calmly guided out, with the relentless alarm ringing in the background.
“Not the fire alarm going off at Gatwick Airport and everyone having to evacuate,” tweeted passenger Emma Harckham.
False Alarm Clears the Air
A 1 Gatwick spokesperson confirmed it was a false alarm. The airport’s dedicated fire service raced to the scene and found no sign of fire. The terminal was reopened shortly afterward, with operations resuming as normal.
“London Gatwick’s South Terminal Departure Lounge was evacuated for a short time this morning due to a fire alarm activation. Our dedicated Airport Fire Service swiftly attended and confirmed there was no fire. Passengers were allowed back into the Departure Lounge shortly after. Safety and security are our top priority, and we resolved the situation as quickly as possible,” the spokesperson said.
Staff Under Fire for Poor Coordination
Not all travellers were impressed by the airport’s handling of the situation. Some blasted staff for confusion amid the chaos. One unhappy passenger tweeted:
“Gatwick Airport – train your staff for fire alarms. Customers asking where to go when fire alarm went off and multiple staff had no idea.”
Minor Delays, No Injuries
The evacuation caused only minor delays, and thankfully no injuries were reported. Gatwick, the UK’s second busiest airport, serves flights from over 50 airlines worldwide and quickly bounced back to normal service.
The incident sparked concern but was swiftly handled — the terminal is now fully operational and holidaymakers can breathe easy once again.
